Fernando Da Cruz Emerges as Top Candidate for Kaizer Chiefs Head Coach
Fernando Da Cruz has moved to the front of the queue to become Kaizer Chiefs’ next head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season, with the club’s technical overhaul clearing the way for a fresh era at Naturena.
The Frenchman, who recently resigned from his role as Technical Coach at the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), is now understood to be Chiefs’ preferred option after a series of discussions.
Chiefs clear the decks
Chiefs have already drawn a firm line under last season.
After finishing third in the 2025/26 Betway Premiership, the club confirmed the exits of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef. Goalkeeper coach Ilyes Mzoughi and conditioning coach Majdi Safi have also departed, part of a wider restructuring of the technical team rather than isolated changes.
The message is clear: this is not a tweak, it is a reset.
FARPost reports that Chiefs have spoken to both Da Cruz and Portuguese coach Alexandre Dos Santos as they search for a new figurehead. Dos Santos remains in the frame, but all signs now point towards Da Cruz as the leading candidate.
A familiar face at Naturena
Da Cruz is no stranger to the Chiefs environment.
Two years ago, he worked within the club’s structures as assistant to Nasreddine Nabi, who at the time was still completing his stint with AS FAR Rabat. During that spell, Da Cruz is understood to have impressed club officials with the structure, intensity and professionalism of his work on the training ground.
Those weeks in Johannesburg were more than a brief stopover. They gave both parties a chance to study each other closely. Chiefs gained insight into Da Cruz’s methods and personality; the Frenchman, in turn, developed a clear understanding of the club’s long-term vision and day-to-day demands.
That familiarity now counts heavily in his favour.
Da Cruz open to the job
Information obtained by FARPost indicates that Da Cruz is open to taking charge at Naturena if an agreement can be reached.
The recent shake-up of the technical department gives Chiefs room to build a staff around their chosen head coach. The club is believed to be weighing up a structure that blends an international head coach with local assistants and support staff, though the final composition of the bench remains under discussion.
For Da Cruz, it would represent a return to a project he already knows. For Chiefs, it would be a calculated move rather than a leap into the unknown.
Pre-season clock is ticking
Time, however, is not on anyone’s side.
Preparations for the new campaign are already gathering pace. Chiefs are due to regroup on 22 June, with the expectation that the new coaching structure will be in place before pre-season work intensifies.
A key part of that build-up will be a training camp in Germany in July, where Amakhosi will test themselves against European opposition in a series of friendlies. That tour is designed not just for fitness, but for bedding in ideas, systems and relationships under the new technical team.
Arrive in Germany without a settled head coach, and valuable weeks slip away.
Squad rebuild gathers momentum
While the coaching search dominates the headlines, the squad itself is also being reshaped.
Defender Thabo Moloisane has already agreed to join the club following his departure from Stellenbosch FC, the first confirmed piece of business in what is expected to be a busy window. Further arrivals and exits are anticipated as Chiefs continue a rebuild aimed at turning a third-place finish into a genuine title challenge in 2026/27.
The framework is being laid: a revamped bench, a refreshed dressing room, a demanding pre-season abroad.
All that remains is the signature on the contract. Will it be Fernando Da Cruz who walks out at Naturena as the man trusted to turn this reset into silverware?
