Chiefs stutter to seventh draw in 12

Indifferent. This may be the best way describe Kaizer Chiefs’ Absa Premiership campaign after the team played to yet another draw with Saturday night’s match against Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida in Durban ending in a 1-1 draw.

This was Amakhosi’s seventh draw against three wins and two defeats which by the club’s standards can be best described as a poor return.

Steve Komphela, the embattled coach, was left to try and give reasons, or excuses if you may, for his side’s poor finishing up front.

He said the problem was a countrywide phenomenon and quoted Orlando Pirates mentor who last week lamented poor finishing in South Africa, saying he had been to over 130 countries and this was the worst he has ever seen.

“Some people will tell you that goal-scorers are born that way,” he said. Komphela also felt his midfield could do better with their supply so that the likes of Gustavo Paez can get better chances.

“I thought at the beginning we were seeing some of his (Paez) good touches.

“Inasmuch as he breaks the lines, sometimes the ball carrier is put under pressure and doesn’t give good passes but it is reality that we need to see him earlier and understand his movements. We will get to that level.

“I can highlight that as a coach but theory and practice are two different things. I can make presentations on it but the pressure of the match is different and players go back to their natural instincts. We just have to keep working on it,” added the 50-yearold mentor.

Komphela also admitted that Ea Lla Koto proved to be a hard nut to crack for his side.

“If I was to summarise the match based on how I feel, I would fail dismally. I have to be more rational,” he said.

“We came up against a good team. We saw how they shaped their attacking three ... We did create chances and we could have gone into half-time with something.

“A draw – we will have to take it but we didn’t expect it based on how we played.”