The Mpumalanga outfit made history on Saturday by playing their first-ever match in South Africa's top flight after winning the 2025/26 Motsepe Foundation Championship.
Although they began life in the Betway Premiership with a loss, Mongoya was pleased with the character and quality his players showed against one of the country's biggest clubs.
"I think people have to get used to Kruger United and the technical staff. We are a team that takes some risks. We don't have the privilege of bringing in top-class players from elsewhere, and we don't want to recycle players who are not going to help us," said the Kruger coach at full-time.
"So we'll take risks and bring in players who are capable of competing. I think we deserve seven out of 10 for our performance. It was a good performance for me."
The Kruger United mentor believes the display justified the club's faith in a squad that has remained largely intact despite promotion to the top flight.
While many newly promoted clubs opt to rebuild with experienced Premiership campaigners, Kruger United resisted the temptation to overhaul their squad. Instead, they strengthened selectively by bringing in goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari on loan from Amakhosi, alongside permanent signings Katlego Mohamme, Sipho Sibiya and Thabang Sibanyoni.
Only Mohamme and Sibiya featured against Chiefs, while Ntwari and Sibanyoni were unavailable for selection.
Mongoya also explained the absence of experienced midfielder Celimpilo Ngema, revealing that the club opted not to risk him because of a minor injury.
With no league action this week due to the MTN8, Kruger United will now shift their focus to their next Betway Premiership assignment against Marumo Gallants on 11 August, where they will look to register their first top-flight points.
