Komphela embraces his challenges over a loss of form

Ask Bloemfontein Celtic coach Steve Komphela to make a choice between his predicament of a financial crisis and impending sale looming over his club or the loss of form and poor start to the season for Free State Stars and his answer is clear.

“I would rather choose to have problems like those we have at Celtic than be struggling for results‚” he said as the two Free State clubs prepared to meet in their Absa Premiership derby clash at Goble Park in Bethlehem on Saturday.

He continued: “They [Stars] have not hit the form they are known for and that’s not easy. That’s why I’d rather choose our problems.”

Nedbank Cup winners Stars have lost five of nine league games this season and sit with eight points. Celtic are up in fourth place with 14 points‚ and have played two games less than Stars.

Three of the previous four meetings between the provincial rivals have ended in draws, and Komphela says he expects Saturday’s clash to be no different. “It will be a very difficult match because as I’ve always said, in a derby form goes out the window. They are very ambitious‚ knowing the Mokoenas [the family who own Free State Stars] and [coach] Luc (Eymael)‚ who wants to change things.

“We have to be calm and traditional‚ then go and play our game and bring our energy and quality.”

Komphela says he is doing his best to try and separate the club’s administrative and financial problems from “technical issues”.

“The people responsible for admin will deal with the problems and we will take care of our technical responsibilities‚” he said.

I would rather choose to have problems like those we have at Celtic than be struggling for results