CURSE OF KOMPHELA
Chiefs urged to un-Steve themselves
THEY have neither rhyme nor rhythm. Their game is devoid of fluency and lacks urgency.
The drought hitting the country has extended to Kaizer Chiefs.
The loss to Jomo Cosmos on Tuesday night equalled a record four losses in a row.
Worse, their failure to hit the bull’seye in four successive matches ranks as an all-time low in their illustrious 46-year existence. That defending Absa Premiership champions are a team in tatters is crystalised by the fact that their season is over with three months to go.
Thirteen points behind pacesetters Mamelodi Sundowns, with eight games still to play, is what’s rankling the fans.
Losing two cup finals has added insult to injury for followers who consider their club cup kings.
For a team that clinched the league title at a canter, many expected Chiefs to continue competing this season like they did in the last three when Amakhosi, under Stuart Baxter, ruled the roost with two league and cup doubles sandwiching a barren season.
A look at each department confirms why things have gone south, says Marks Maponyane, a striker who spent a decade of glory at the club.
“They are not clinical enough in the area that matters most. In midfield they’ve been all over the show. At the back they’ve committed serious blunders,” he says.
Chiefs’ last two league titles rested on a rock solid rearguard, marshalled by Tefu Mashamaite, whose departure has left something akin to the famous Big Hole in Kimberley.
“The number one challenge in defence is no consistency,” says Fabian McCarthy, a double league defender of yesteryear with Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.
“Looking for partnerships can take time, but chopping and changing is confusing. With Mashamaite gone, I thought Xulu would have fitted right in and allowed time to develop an understanding with [Mulomowandau] Mathoho.”
Instead, marquee signing [Siyanda] Xulu spends more time on the bench, if not the stands.
Lorenzo Gordinho has latent qualities that can be developed into future success, while Daniel Cardoso’s versatility across the back four makes him an option.
“There’s no cohesion in the central pairing because there’s no communication, no one giving instructions. The fact that they change goalkeepers so much this season means they miss out on [Itumeleng] Khune’s leadership cause he’s always talking to his defenders,” argues McCarthy.
“Mashamaite is glaringly missed. As a result, fans want to blame the coach, but it’s the players who are not as good as they should be,” says Maponyane, adding that “Steve inherited players who have won things. After winning, you have to regroup. But he has had to live with what he has.”
To be fair to [Steve] Komphela, what he has hasn’t helped him much. Chiefs have reached two finals. Men who’ve been stalwarts and creative fulcrums of the side, and were central to recent success, such as Bernard Parker, Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Siphiwe Tshabalala, are battling with their puissance.
“The bigger picture is that the coach has never missed a penalty,” says Maponyane, in reference to Chiefs’ Telkom Knockout final defeat.
As much as he has taken responsibility for the poor results, Komphela has showed feet of clay at times. When the supporters demanded George Maluleka and development graduate Pule Ekstein, the coach panicked.
Suddenly, he started playing them. Sadly, both have not reciprocated the favour. He didn’t take a leaf from the book of his predecessor who showed that a coach shouldn’t pander to the whims of the fans by persisting with Kingston Nkhatha, despite protests from the terraces. That’s not all. Whereas Maluleka has been missing glaring chances, his namesake Lebese, a winger, is the top scorer with five goals. But he has hardly seen action lately.
Whereas Tshabalala has been the kingpin of assists, he’ll be the first to admit that he’s had pedestrian matches where he should have been substituted, but wasn’t.
Seemingly, Shabba plays because there’s an overreliance on his set pieces — all of Mathoho’s three goals have come from his free kicks.
That defensive midfielder Willard Katsande is second highest scorer with four goals — same as main striker Camaldine Abraw — underlines the severity of paucity of the Chiefs frontline.
While the “Steve must fall” chorus grows with every loss, management cannot escape scrutiny. Enter team manager Bobby Motaung.
They are not clinical enough. In midfield they’ve been all over the show. At the back, they’ve committed serious blunders With all due respect, they are seriously not at the same level or quality of what is expected of a Chiefs player
The question of quality over quantity can’t be left out of the equation. It goes in his direction.
The material Baxter found comprised national team players Khune, Siboniso Gaxa, Mathoho, Tsepo Masilela, Parker, Letsholonyane, Tshabalala.
But their combined age of 185 limits them from being part of longterm forward planning.
It serves as confirmation that the squad needed rejuvenation, fast, if the slide is to be arrested.
Komphela has Sula Matovu, Ovidy Karuru, Camaldine Abraw, Edward Manqele, Bongani Ndulula and Siphelele Mthembu. All signed by Motaung. Chalk and cheese.
“The sad reality is Chiefs are not like Sundowns where, when you look at the bench, you see players who can come in and turn the game on its head,” says Maponyane.
“With all due respect, they are seriously not at the same level or quality of what is expected of a Chiefs player.” What now for Chiefs? “They must start from scratch with new players, new ideas, but keep the same coach,” says Maponyane.