STEVE TAKING STRAIN
BACKBREAKING WORK: The disgruntled among the Kaizer Chiefs faithful are increasing their calls for coach Steve Komphela to be relieved of his duties LET’S say Kaizer Motaung accedes to the demands to downgrade coach Steve Komphela to junk status — read dismiss him.
It is apparent that those against Komphela continuing in his position want the Chiefs hierarchy to comprehend the force of their argument: Steve is under strain and should be relieved of his responsibility.
Their patience is wearing thin. Fewer and fewer of them bless the orange seats of the FNB Stadium with their bums. The even fewer who bothered to pitch on Wednesday night vented their anger by pelting the man from Kroonstad with missiles at the end of the 1-1 draw with SuperSport United. It was a fourth match Amakhosi failed to gain a victory in all competitions.
Things are getting worse, grumble the disgruntled. Theirs, a team that routinely won trophies sending them into full throttle of unbridled joy is disjointed, they charge.
Their missiles were accompanied by a chorus of “Steve must go”! Last season, Komphela lost in two cup finals, the MTN8 to Ajax Cape Town and the Telkom Knockout to Mamelodi Sundowns.
In this campaign, Amakhosi were eliminated in the MTN8 quarterfinals by newbies Cape Town City. They were booted out in the last eight of the Telkom Knockout by struggling Free State Stars, the only team yet to taste victory in the league. Should Komphela go, now or at the end of the season, whoever comes in to replace the coach who is clearly under strain, will find himself grappling with the same problems confronting the incumbent. It is prudent to dissect the personnel at Komphela’s disposal department by department. Komphela’s problems begin on the bench.
John Paintsil is a fine fellow. His distinguished playing career is not in dispute.
At question are not his credentials, but the depth of his coaching acumen. Part of Pitso Mosimane’s success is the brilliance in the brains trust on the bench. Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena are strong deputies capable of contributing solutions during times of crisis. Itumeleng Khune remains the safest pair of hands with a capable deputy in Brilliant Khuzwayo. A rearguard that is able to keep a clean sheet in seven consecutive matches has a level of reliability about it.
The trouble is that they don’t operate at the same level of efficiency in every game. Lorenzo Gordinho outshines the rest with his lionhearted efforts. For both club and country, shaky best describes Mulomowandaou Mathoho’s current form. It has hardly scaled the towering heights the faithful have come to expect of the man called Tower. Sibusiso Khumalo is as injury prone as the man he came in to compete with for the leftback position, Tshepo Masilela. Ramahlwe Mphahlele is steadily settling into a stride. The wonder goal against former club Sundowns will rev up his mojo further. This is a critical area of concern for Chiefs.
There is a paucity of creativity. No one man makes a team and even though they won’t shout it from the rooftop, letting go of Reneilwe Letsholonyane has left Chiefs desperately bereft of a creative spark. Komphela is struggling to find a partner for iron man Willard Katsande. No one is in charge.
Keagan Buchanan has not set the scene alight. In his defence, though, he is rusty, having only resumed playing after being sidelined by a long-term injury. Pule Ekstein has not repaid Komphela for persisting with him. He has not carried a game in a manner that lingers in the mind.
The wings are not bad. William Twala has traits reminiscent of Arthur Zwane. His downside is the quality of his crosses. His shots are shockingly weak, unlike when he arrived from Chippa United last season. A more consistent George Lebese will be hard to substitute, let alone keep on the bench. Ditto the other George, Maluleka.
Katsande’s homeboy Edmore Chimbaradare has glimpses of brilliance. But like most of his teammates, he lacks consistency. This is where the picture gets murky. Consider this: Orlando Pirates striker Tendai Ndoro has hit the bull’s-eye nine times in as many matches. Chiefs, on the other hand, have scored 11 goals in 10. And on top of that, defender Gordinho leads the pack with three goals apiece with Lebese, who was the star performer on Wednesday after two matches as an unused substitute. Hence the howls when Komphela inexplicably substituted him. Sundowns, who have played five games less, have scored eight.
Lewis Macho pledged to this newspaper that he was going to score 20 goals in his maiden season. The last time the Zambian striker scored was when it rained in the Kalahari — read Carling Black Label Championship. The only striker who has scored in the league is Mitchell Katsvairo. Motaung is not an impulsive man. But maybe he is now wondering whether Komphela is the man to restore Chiefs’ tattered reputation
The midfield is a critical area of concern. There’s a paucity of creativity... Letting go of Reneilwe Letsholonyane has left Chiefs desperately bereft of a creative spark