Kaizer Chiefs announced Fernando da Cruz as their new head coach on Wednesday and added two members to their technical staff, the club said in a statement on its website. Da Cruz will complete his duties with the Moroccan Football Federation at the end of the month before taking charge at Naturena.
According to the club, da Cruz has signed a two-year contract with a one-year option, effective 1 July 2026. Born in France, the 54-year-old holds a UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching qualification in the game, the statement said.
The club noted da Cruz’s previous links with Chiefs, saying he worked briefly with the team during pre-season two years ago before joining the Moroccan Football Federation as technical director. His résumé includes three separate stints at Lille, where he worked under Marcelo Bielsa and helped develop players such as Idrissa Gueye, Lucas Digne, Victor Osimhen and Eden Hazard.
Da Cruz’s success outside Europe was also highlighted. The statement recalled that he guided AS FAR to the Moroccan Botola League title in 2022-23 and stressed his background in youth development and academy structures as a fit with Chiefs’ long-term vision.
Joining da Cruz on the technical bench will be Egyptian assistant coach Mahmoud Abbas, 35, and French sports scientist Julien le Heran, the club confirmed. Chiefs said the squad returns to training on Thursday, June 18, with the assistant coach overseeing baseline preparations ahead of da Cruz’s arrival.
Amakhosi finished third in the South African Premiership in 2025-26 and parted ways with interim co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze after the season; Ben Youssef and Kaze had taken over following the early-season departure of Nasreddine Nabi amid mysterious circumstances, the club statement noted. Chiefs added that more announcements will follow as the coaching staff prepares for the upcoming pre-season camp.
