GRATEFUL FOR PATIENT BOSS
KAIZER Chiefs coach Steve Komphela said he was grateful that club boss Kaizer Motaung was a patient man and did not panic, even when Amakhosi were going through a rough patch.
Chiefs finally ended their poor run of eight matches without a win when they beat Polokwane City 3-2 in a thrilling league game that had more twists and turns than a Brazilian soap opera at Soccer City on Sunday afternoon.
The rare victory – Chiefs had not won a game since beating Ajax Cape Town 2-0 in October – gave Komphela a little bit of breathing space and he exited Soccer City for the first time in weeks without his trademark police escort in tow.
Incensed Chiefs supporters had protested against Komphela’s regime in recent weeks and demanded the coach’s head on a platter.
But Motaung did not buckle under the pressure to fire the beleaguered former Bafana Bafana captain and stuck with him.
Komphela revealed there had been tough days when he had felt the pressure but was amazed by the Chiefs chairman’s cool-as-a-cucumber approach to tense situations.
“Our chairman is always the first to arrive at the village [Chiefs’ Naturena headquarters in the south of Johannesburg] and sometimes he is the last to leave‚” Komphela said.
“After the first training, if there are two sessions in between‚ when you go for lunch the chairman is there.
“He is always with you and he is one gentleman . . . sometimes [when the team is under pressure and not winning] you feel like: ‘Chairman, please say something.’ But he will engage with you in a manner that makes you feel: ‘Goodness me‚ is there no other thing [he wants to say] or is there no panic?’ “Never‚ no panic.” Komphela said Motaung constantly engaged with him and was on hand to give motivational talks to the players whenever he felt his advice was needed in the changing room.
“Even now he had a small talk with the team [after the win against Polokwane City].
“He appreciated the secondhalf performance [that saw Chiefs claw their way back from 1-0 at half time to win the exciting game 3-2 ] and he said we rectified the first half performance, which our people did not deserve.”
Komphela admitted that he was relieved after his charges recovered and managed to win the game.
Irate Chiefs fans had bayed for Komphela’s blood in recent weeks, chanting: “Steve must go‚ Steve must go,” whenever the team played.
Komphela said he could feel the tension building inside the 2010 World Cup venue as his charges struggled to impose themselves in the first half.
As the crowd grew increasingly restless with each passing minute‚ it seemed Komphela would face more of the same at the end of the game.
And perhaps underlining the fickle nature of supporters‚ the same mob that has hounded Komphela out of stadiums in recent weeks was suddenly in fine voice at the final whistle on Sunday and celebrated the triumph as if they had just won the league title.
Komphela said he did not want to take the credit, nor did he want to communicate what the result meant for him personally.
“You have got to take [the pressure] and the minute you are given this responsibility it is purely professional.
“Unfortunately, some of the stuff that is professional is going to affect you personally.
“I am more relieved for the supporters and for everybody around the club that we got the three points.”
The Chiefs coach said the run of eight matches without a win had been unreal.
He was happy that his players had finally ended the winless streak on Sunday.
Chiefs, now fourth on the PSL standings, play their last match of the year against Golden Arrows in Durban tomorrow.