Bobby Motaung praises Komphela
Kaizer Chiefs manager Bobby Motaung is trying to paint a rosy picture of the three-year tenure of Steve Komphela‚ even after his coach quit in the wake of the mayhem at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung is trying to paint a rosy picture of the three-year tenure of Steve Komphela‚ even after his coach quit at the weekend in the wake of the mayhem at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Komphela left the club without winning a single trophy, but that did not stop Motaung from paying tribute to the mentor.
“Anyone sensible‚ anyone who knows football‚ will recognise that Steve has done a great job for Kaizer Chiefs‚” insisted Motaung is himself in the firing line over his mediocre recruitments for the club in recent seasons.
“He has built a team, but unfortunately when it’s not meant to be for you‚ it’s not meant to be.
“Whoever takes over in the future has got a cake baked already for them just to eat.
“Steve revamped and built the Chiefs team over three years and we always had confidence in him but‚ unfortunately‚ he did not get results.
“It hurts because it disrupts our plans for the future.”
This sentiment is at odds with the fury that fans have expressed over the past months‚ culminating in the riot at the end of the defeat to unfancied Free State Stars in Saturday night’s Nedbank Cup semifinal.
Motaung has long backed Komphela even though his father‚ who owns the club‚ has long held reservations about the ability of local coaches.
Komphela was only the second South African in three decades to coach the club permanently but did not bring in a single trophy‚ in contrast to his English predecessor Stuart Baxter who won two league titles in three years but clashed with Motaung‚ especially over player recruitment.
Chiefs have appointed Patrick Mabedi as interim coach for the rest of the 2017-18 season.
The 44-year-old former Malawian international will be in charge of Chiefs in their three remaining matches.
“Mabedi will be assisted on the bench by Arthur Zwane‚ who is in charge of Chiefs’ reserve team. Zwane joined Amakhosi in 2000‚ playing for the first team until 2010‚” the club said.
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