ANOTHER BLOW
KOMPHELA HINTS HE COULD GO AFTER LATEST SETBACK
Chiefs have tricky trip to face Celtic in Premiership opener,
Kaizer Chiefs supporters would be forgiven if they felt a sense of
déjà vu moments after last Saturday’s MTN8 first-round defeat to SuperSport United in Durban.
Their team did, after all, simply repeat of what they had been doing last season – conceded an easy goal through a lapse in concentration at the back and failed to convert their numerous chances.
The defeat has put the spotlight back on Komphela, who already has a bad record as the first Amakhosi mentor in recent history to go two seasons without winning any silverware.
The first trophy of the new season is now already out of the window too, and the question has to be just how long Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung’s patience will hold. Before Saturday’s match there was speculation that Komphela would be shown the door if he failed to win the MTN8.
As always, Komphela didn’t show any signs of frustrations as he answered questions from the media in a post-match interview.
“The pressure has always been there. No coach in the world has the pressure off at any time,” said Komphela.
Asked if he felt he still was the right man to guide the club back to the glory days, Komphela gave an answer which suggested he would be willing to step aside if need be.
“If you are there and somebody else can give this team something that you are not giving, you have good faith and say ‘for the process of moving on this is it’,” said Komphela.
The 50-year-old said he could not fault his players as they gave everything and were unlucky not to have found an equaliser after Jeremy Brockie hit the winner in just the sixth minute.
“We are playing well. The difference is hitting the upright in- stead of the net,” he said.
He added: “You can’t explain this. Any response has to be realistic to what you are facing. We fight but don’t get a result. We take full responsibility because you can’t tell the supporters ‘but we played well’.”
Chiefs start their league campaign on Sunday when they travel to the Free State to take on Bloemfontein Celtic. A slow start to their campaign for the Premiership title and the heat on Komphela will only intensify.
No coach in the world has the pressure off at any time