I don’t see AmaZulu upsetting Chiefs
Tshepang Mailwane: Farouk, your overall impression of this first leg between Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu FC?
Farouk Khan: You have a situation where you have a two-legged semifinal and both coaches were not willing to give away too much in the first game. I think that’s how the game started. Chiefs were the team in the ascendency. Creating the chances that they did, Chiefs could have easily been three or four goals up easily in the first half. When you defend as long and as deep as AmaZulu did, it was only a matter of time that there would be a lapse of concentration and that’s exactly what happened. From then, you thought it would be the time for Chiefs to score the second goal, but it did not happen. I thought they would sacrifice a defender and bring in an attacker. That maybe would have been an option. (Arthur) Zwane brought on (Keagan) Dolly, which was a good tactical change. He brought a bit more combination play in the middle, with the inter-passing.
TM: How much of a concern is it that the Soweto giants were not able to kill off the game after Usuthu were reduced to 10 men? It was a similar situation when they drew 1-1 with Marumo Gallants in the league…
FK: AmaZulu were 10 men for a long time, so it’s a concern for Chiefs. The thing is, if you want to play a specific brand of football, then firstly you have to make sure that the brand of football is realistic. Keeping the ball for the sake of keeping the ball can be dangerous if you can’t convert those chances. I think the idea of Chiefs wanting to play this elaborate football can have its benefits in the long term, but in the short term, it seems like it’s stifling their scoring. And you saw that with (Mamelodi) Sundowns over the weekend, where they played a possession-based game and were unable to score. Then what happens? Can you be a team that can change to a Plan B and play more direct?
TM: So how do they go about addressing the issue of the number of opportunities wasted on the day?
FK:
That’s one area that needs so much more attention. They can’t seem to convert the chances they create and that is the reason they are going into the second leg on the back of a 1-1 draw. They have Bonfils-Caleb (Bimenyimana). They had similar players in the form of (Leonardo) Castro and (Samir Nurkovic) and they were a little bit more clinical. Don’t get me wrong, this guy could turn out to become a wonderful striker, but look at what happened this past weekend. Instead of side-footing the ball, he wanted to hit it with the outside of the foot. He was right in front of goal. AmaZulu left him unmarked and he was unable to convert. The marking was pathetic. I have not really seen anything that excites me about the guy, but maybe there is still more to come, I don’t know. At this moment, we will have to wait and see. I am surprised that Chiefs were unable to capitalize on the poor defensive performance by AmaZulu. Look at how many clear chances that Chiefs missed. They should have scored more. I can understand (Ashley) Du Preez is still a player getting used to the situation. I think, in time, he is a player who can turn out to be a good finisher because of his speed.
TM: Was it a mistake to start Keagan Dolly on the bench?
FK:
I don’t think so. Sometimes a coach might not necessarily play his best XI. Sometimes he keeps something in reserve depending on the situation because the game can change at any moment. He has to have a trump card and Dolly is his trump card.
TM: What are your thoughts on the trend of Chiefs conceding most of their goals in the first 20 minutes of a game?
FK:
They have been looking to build from the back and it’s bound to happen that if you don’t do it effectively, you are going to concede goals. They are using this season to build a philosophy and style of play and there is some risk in that, when you don’t do it effectively. The coach has brought in (Edmilson) Dove now and he has done much better in that role. I feel he has complemented (Zitha) Kwinika much better. It’s just a case of them making sure that they are more concentrated and that they don’t take unnecessary risks. Coach Arthur Zwane backs his players, but they should not let him down by making those mistakes. If you look at some of the goals, it’s from mistakes from previous games, when (Njabulo) Ngcobo gave away the ball and (Siyabonga) Ngezana. A lot of the teams these days play the high press, especially when they know that you are struggling to play out from the back. The next best thing is to play it long. But when you do that, it means you bypass the likes of Dolly and others. I think it’s important for Chiefs to come up with a strategic plan on how to maintain possession as a means to an end.
TM: What do you see happening in the second leg?
FK:
I don’t see AmaZulu upsetting Chiefs. They drew in the league as well, when (Dillon) Solomons missed a penalty. Even on that day, Chiefs were dominant. And in the game over the weekend, Chiefs were dominant. I don’t think AmaZulu will be able to overcome that dominance. Other teams seem to cope with Chiefs’ speed and aggression, but I don’t think AmaZulu has the capacity to do so.