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Kaizer Chiefs have finally confirmed 54-year-old Frenchman Fernando da Cruz as their new coach, after months of speculation linking him to the club.“He has signed a two-year contract with a one-year option, effective July 1 2026,” Chiefs said in a statement released on Wednesday evening.It appears as if Da Cruz’s Uefa Pro badge, alongside his familiarity with the club, are some of the factors Chiefs considered before securing his services.“Born in France, Da Cruz comes highly qualified with a Uefa Pro Licence, the highest coaching certification in football,” Chiefs’ statement added. “He worked briefly with Chiefs during pre-season two years ago before joining the Moroccan Football Federation, where he served as technical director until the end of June. He will officially take charge of Amakhosi at the beginning of July.”Da Cruz replaces interim co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze, who did not have their contracts renewed at the end of the season, despite guiding Amakhosi to third spot in the premiership and qualifying for the CAF Confederation Cup for the second season running.Da Cruz started his coaching career as assistant coach at Wasquehal, in Belgium, in 2006. He also had stints coaching the youth sides at Lille OSC and Royal Excel Mouscron.In December 2014, Da Cruz was named temporary manager of Mouscron after the sacking of Rachid Chihab. In January 2016, Da Cruz left Mouscron to work as a scout with Lille OSC. He coached Moroccan side AS FAR Rabat between 2022 and 2023.Da Cruz will be assisted by 35-year-old Egyptian coach Mahmoud Abbas, while the sports science role will be taken by fellow Frenchman Julien le Heran. Chiefs assemble for the new season on Thursday, with Le Heran expected to oversee things until Da Cruz arrives in two weeks.
