The Soweto giants head into the opening weekend as favourites against the Motsepe Foundation Championship winners, who are preparing for their first-ever top-flight match after sealing automatic promotion with a dominant title-winning campaign.
Kruger United also impressed in the 2026 Mpumalanga Premier’s Cup, beating Casric Stars 1-0 on their way to the final before falling 3-1 to TS Galaxy. Coach Abram Mongoya is expected to rely on a disciplined defensive approach and quick counter-attacks as his side looks to frustrate one of the league’s biggest clubs.
Chiefs, meanwhile, return to domestic action after a mixed pre-season. They failed to win any of their three matches during a tour of Spain, losing to Elche while drawing against Rangers and Al-Khoolod, before ending preparations on a positive note with a 2-0 Toyota Cup victory over Scottland FC.
Da Cruz believes there is still significant room for improvement, particularly in the final third.
Although Chiefs finished last season with one of the league’s strongest defensive records, conceding only one more goal than champions Orlando Pirates, they lacked the attacking firepower to sustain a genuine title challenge. Amakhosi ended the campaign as the Betway Premiership’s fourth-highest scorers, finishing well behind Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, who scored 25 and 24 more goals respectively.
“We always want to improve the level of our team and we know the team has defended very well in the previous seasons,” Da Cruz said at the Betway Premiership launch in Johannesburg.
“But the gap between Chiefs and the two other teams above us was a little bit high so that’s definitely an area that we want to improve but we don’t want to just improve individuals but development and improve the entire attacking dynamic is the most important to me.”
The Portuguese coach has stressed that improving Chiefs’ attacking output will require a collective effort rather than relying on individual brilliance, with greater movement, combination play and decision-making central to his plans.
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Chiefs have also strengthened their squad during the transfer window as they look to compete across multiple competitions this season.
Kruger United, however, will be eager to mark their Betway Premiership debut with an upset. The Mpumalanga outfit can also call on the experience of goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari, who is on loan from Chiefs, as they attempt to make life difficult for the visitors.