Chiefs clash not personal – Pitso
Talk of tactical rivalry with Steve downplayed
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has urged supporters not to turn tonight’s fixture against Kaizer Chiefs into a personal duel about who is the better tactician between him and his under-fire Amakhosi counterpart Steve Komphela.
“It’s about the teams. The teams are bigger than us. I don’t think we should take it to that level as coaches,” said Mosimane.
“They won the last match and you are only as good as your last game.”
The reigning CAF Coach of the Year is wary of facing a wounded Amakhosi side, following Chiefs’s shock 2-1 loss to Baroka a fortnight ago.
“It’s always going to be a big match. It will be a little bit difficult because they are coming from a loss against Baroka.
“There has been a lot of correspondence from Chiefs [saying] that they need to turn it around; that it is time they stop conceding goals at the end of games. So we are aware that it will be difficult,” Mosimane said.
The Brazilians will host an understaffed Amakhosi at Loftus Versveld tonight (7.30pm) in a clash that could prove decisive to the beleaguered Komphela’s future. While Mosimane welcomes key players back from injury, Komphela is sitting with a long list of casualties. Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Tsepo Masilela and Emmanuel Letlotlo are out with long-term injuries. Amakhosi’s problems have been compounded by the recent injuries to Gustavo Paez, Kgotso Moleko, Lorenzo Gordinho and Teenage Hadebe. Mosimane, on the other hand, is relieved about his shrinking injury list, with Khama Billiat, Anthony Laffor, Wayne Arendse, and Tiyani Mabunda either back to fitness or edging closer to recovery. “We have been working hard to bring other players up to speed because we have been having an imbalance in the team,” Mosimane said.
‘ ‘ It’s about the teams. The teams are bigger than us