Komphele admits anxiety, but he will tough it out no matter what
WITH Kaizer Chiefs hogging the headlines this month with the purchase of three players and the appointment of a technical advisor, coach Steve Komphela’s contract has again come under the microscope.
He has just four months left and there has yet to be any mention of an extension.
“The anxiety builds when you are not sure,” Komphela said yesterday when asked about his future. “And you are uncertain when you are scrambling all over the place. But that is not so with me. I am a man of process, I am working here and looking as far as going until the last day – contributing in a manner in that when you leave, or stay, you have done your job in a manner that is highly respectable.”
What works against the coach is the fact that he has not won anything (with the exception of pre-season cups) since being hired in June 2015 to replace Stuart Baxter, a man who collected four trophies in three years.
“I look at the log table (Amakhosi are fourth after 16 games) and it is worrisome,” said Komphela about Chiefs’ chances of winning the championship.
“We have conceded nine goals, that is the best defence in the league at the moment along with Maritzburg United. But everybody else has gone beyond.
“We are not as free-scoring, maybe that is why we had to come up with this intervention (signing two attacking midfielders and a striker).
“We have played too many draws (joint second highest in the league) even though we have only lost three matches. I think we are the only team that has lost this number of matches and have conceded the least number of goals. It is a cause for concern. Maybe (Siphelele) Ntshangase and (Leonardo) Castro will help us.”
The announcement on Tuesday of Rob Hutting as a technical advisor sparked some speculation that Komphela was headed for the exit door, this despite the club being clear that the Dutchman was hired in consultation with Komphela.