Classy Chiefs are on a roll
MIDDENDORP: HE ADMIRES PITSO MOSIMANE
Kaizer Chiefs’ fans may be walking tall and boasting about their team’s big win over Mamelodi Sundowns, whom they beat 2-0 at home on Sunday afternoon, but there is no time or room for that in Naturena as coach Ernst Middendorp is all about putting in more work.
Middendorp outfoxed his more revered counterpart Pitso Mosimane, who was left fuming as he blamed the match officials for what he insisted was a wrong offside call on the first goal – which TV replays suggested it wasn’t.
But the German is not getting excited about the result which put his team five points clear at the top of the standings after nine matches. Asked if the win was sweeter after all the talk that Mosimane made in pre-match interviews, Middendorp dropped a Steve Komphela-kind of response.
“No. Not at all,” he said. “I think if you have achieved such an amount of trophies and championships (as Pitso has) then he has a right to talk and make his ideas public about how he sees things.
“It is not sweet at all… for us right now it is all about the three points and nothing about sweetness. Happiness is the biggest enemy of your development, yo your progress because when you start to be happy and you start running around with sweetness in your eyes, then sorry you are done and this definitely will not happen (in my team),” said the 60-yearold.
For Middendorp, the Sundowns win means nothing now and they look forward to planning for their next match which happens to be a Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates in the Telkom Knockout quarterfinals in Durban on Saturday.
Middendorp said he had expected a tough match at Sundowns and was happy his players saw their plan to fruition on the day.
“It was expected that there would be a lot of tension. As part of going into a match like this you have a wish list and mine was that we score the first goal. Being 1- 0 up gives you a position to direct the flow and work out of a certain position. We managed that,” he said.
He felt they could have increased their lead a little sooner than they did but a lack of fluidity up front delayed them.
“We could have done better to capitalise on certain moves to add on the first goal. On the other side it is of course not a secret that we played against a very qualified team. I said before the game we have the most decorated coach in Africa in Pitso Mosimane sitting on the side. I think we should not forget that and should be very prepared.”