Middendorp dismisses claims Chiefs miss Khune
Coach: This is not golf or tennis
Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has vehemently rejected a widely held notion that Amakhosi miss injured goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune as his replacement Virgil Vries continues to fumble.
Chiefs’ goalkeeping fragility, once again came to the fore when the Soweto giants failed to advance to the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup after going down 5-2 on aggregate against Zambian club Zesco United. Amakhosi were beaten 3-1 in Zambia last week and failed to overturn the deficit at FNB Stadium at the weekend, allowing Zesco to score two more goals to put the twolegged fixture to bed. Khama Billiat’s late striker to make it 2-1 did not influence anything. Teddy Akumu scored the visitors’ first goal inside the first 10 minutes and Jesse Were doubled Zesco’s lead midway the second half. Having already been heavily criticised for his howler against Mamelodi Sundowns a fortnight ago, conceding five goals in two matches against Zesco may have cast more doubt on Vries’s capabilities. Khune is out for the remainder of the season after picking up a shoulder injury.
“I think it’s very unfair of you [the media] to ask if we miss Khune. We are not playing golf or tennis. We are playing as a team and everybody has to contribute. It’s not about one player,” said Middendorp.
“It’s a concern [conceding five goals against
Zesco over two legs] there’s no doubt about that. In the end, I am working with human beings. I have to be realistic. I cannot be going like a bulldozer through the dressing room.”
The Amakhosi mentor implied their Confed Cup elimination was a result of improper preparation as they played both matches three days after league matches against Bidvest Wits and AmaZulu respectively.
“We have to be very clear for us. If we want to see our team being successful in this international business, we need at least in this qualification stage… at least one week to have preparation time, to be fresh and to be fit and have a chance to compete,” noted Middendorp.