Asanele Velebayi came off the bench to score his first goal for Kaizer Chiefs since joining the club, helping them secure a 2-1 comeback victory over Siwelele FC in the Carling Knockout quarter-finals on Sunday night.
Velebayi’s decisive contribution ensured Chiefs booked their place in the semi-finals, with Da Cruz particularly pleased with the work the midfielder has been putting in behind the scenes.
Although the 22-year-old has not enjoyed regular game time, the Chiefs coach believes his attitude at training has been rewarded and highlighted the importance of having players who can make an impact when given an opportunity.
“I’m very happy for Velebayi because he worked a lot at training,” Da Cruz told SuperSport TV.
“He didn’t get a lot of minutes for the moment, but the most important thing is when he comes in to help the team and support the team. Today (Sunday), he offered us the qualification.”
Meanwhile, Da Cruz admitted that Chiefs could have made life easier for themselves after missing opportunities to take control of the contest in the first half.
The coach felt his side deserved to go into the break ahead but was pleased with their response during the opening stages of the second half.
However, he acknowledged that his players became increasingly nervous towards the end after taking the lead.
Read: Kaizer Chiefs edge Siwelele to secure Carling Knockout Cup semi-final spot
“The most important thing is the qualification. We made a very good first half and normally deserved to be in front in terms of goals at half-time, but we didn’t do it,” he added.
“In the second half, we had 20 good first minutes and then dropped a little bit. We scored and finished the game afraid, but the most important thing is the qualification.”