Jeers turn to cheers for Chiefs
Amakhosi win silences doubters
IT WAS far from convincing, but Steve Komphela and his Kaizer Chiefs silenced their doubters and turned the jeers of their own supporters into cheers with a 2-0 triumph against Maritzburg United – their second win in succession in the space of three days.
Chiefs put United to the sword in their Premier Soccer League match on Saturday night with first-half goals from Lorenzo Gordinho and William Twala to extinguish the earlier “Steve Must Go” chants that rang around the FNB Stadium after Chiefs’ 1-1 draw with Platinum Stars last weekend.
Those chants were not heard when Chiefs got off the mark with a 1-0 win over Highlands Park in Tembisa on Wednesday.
Fortunately they died a further death with this result – a seventh home win over United in 11 encounters in Johannesburg since the 2004-05 season and the fourth in the last six over the team from KwaZuluNatal.
But the air of fretfulness‚ of something not quite right and of uncertainty over how Komphela wants his team to play, continues.
That Chiefs’ coach named his fourth different starting line-up in as many matches is proof that he is struggling to settle on a regular line-up‚ thus affecting the team’s rhythm and combinations.
After a lukewarm start‚ as Maritzburg were first to get out of the blocks quickly and had already sent in two shots on target in the opening five minutes‚ Chiefs took the game by the scruff of its neck with first-half goals from defender Gordinho and midfielder Twala to put Amakhosi in a commanding position going into the break at a near-empty FNB Stadium.
Amakhosi found the back of the net as Gordinho towered over his markers to head home the opening goal in the 19th minute and give the home side the lead.
Twala doubled the score with a sumptuous finish on the stroke of half-time after an assist from the much-criticised playmaker Hendrick Ekstein to hand Chiefs their first win of the season on their home turf.
Chiefs’ indifferent start to the season has been a source of great consternation for their many supporters.
But that changed on Saturday as Komphela’s charges joined Orlando Pirates (first)‚ Bidvest Wits (second) and third-placed Cape Town City (all on seven points) at the top of the Absa Premiership log.
Amakhosi are now jointtop and third on the log on seven points from four matches. — TMG Digital/TMG Sport