Fernando Da Cruz Set to Become Kaizer Chiefs’ Next 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 reset gathering real momentum.
Chiefs Clear the Decks
A third-place finish in the 2025/26 Betway Premiership has not spared the current technical team. Chiefs have already confirmed the exits of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, while goalkeeper coach Ilyes Mzoughi and conditioning coach Majdi Safi have also been released as part of a sweeping overhaul.
The message from Naturena is unmistakable: the structure is being stripped back so a new era can be built properly.
FARPost understands that Chiefs have held talks with both Frenchman Fernando Da Cruz and Portuguese coach Alexandre Dos Santos in their search for a new head coach. Dos Santos remains in the frame, but the momentum has swung decisively towards Da Cruz, who has emerged as the club’s preferred option at this stage.
A Familiar Face, Now Available
Da Cruz recently resigned from his role as Technical Coach at the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), timing that has not gone unnoticed in Johannesburg.
He is no stranger to the Chiefs environment. Two years ago, he worked within the club’s structures as assistant to Nasreddine Nabi, who was then still concluding his tenure with AS FAR Rabat. During that spell, Da Cruz is understood to have impressed key figures at Chiefs with the structure, intensity and professionalism of his work on the training ground and behind the scenes.
Those weeks together did more than just plug a gap. They allowed both sides to study each other closely. Chiefs gained insight into Da Cruz’s methods and temperament; he, in turn, grew familiar with the club’s long-term vision, expectations and day-to-day realities at Naturena.
That shared history now gives this potential reunion a different weight. This would not be a blind appointment.
Da Cruz Open to Naturena Return
Information received by FARPost indicates that Da Cruz is open to taking charge at Chiefs should negotiations be concluded successfully. With his FRMF chapter closed, the 51-year-old coach is free to commit fully to a club project, and Chiefs’ timing looks deliberate.
The recent restructuring of the technical department gives the club room to shape a modern, layered coaching setup around the new head coach. Chiefs are believed to be exploring the inclusion of local coaches and support staff in the revamped structure, creating a blend of international expertise and domestic insight. Talks over the final composition of the bench are ongoing, but the framework is being built with the new man in mind.
Clock Ticking Before Germany Camp
Pre-season planning has already started. Chiefs are set to head to Germany in July for a training camp that will include a series of friendlies against European opposition, a crucial testing ground for any new ideas and combinations.
The squad is due to regroup on 22 June. By then, the club expects to have its coaching structure finalised so that whoever takes the reins can hit the ground running, not walk into a moving train.
Behind the scenes, attention has also shifted to the playing squad. Defender Thabo Moloisane has already agreed to join following his departure from Stellenbosch FC, the first confirmed piece in what is shaping up to be a broader rebuild. More arrivals and departures are anticipated as Chiefs look to sharpen a team that fell short of the title but showed enough to suggest a platform is there.
All that remains is the signature on the most important contract of all. If that name turns out to be Fernando Da Cruz, Naturena will not be meeting a stranger – it will be welcoming back a coach many inside the club already believe can lead the next phase of the Amakhosi revival.
