It’s a difficult season
KAIZER Chiefs coach Steve Komphela yesterday bought into his Bidvest Wits counterpart Gavin Hunt’s argument that the current state of the Absa Premiership table is “false”.
Amakhosi host Highlands Park at the Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow evening, and with title rivals Wits, SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns in CAF action rather than the domestic league, Chiefs could top the log if they win and Cape Town City lose to or draw with Pirates.
None of the championship contenders have been comfortable when they’ve been at the summit at any point this season because of some of the outstanding league matches. Wits, for instance, will have three games in hand after the weekend’s round of fixtures, while Sundowns will have six. Amakhosi’s surge to the top could just be temporary.
“It’s incredibly difficult this season,” Komphela said yesterday. “I am not sure what analogy Gavin was using to conclude that the league table is false, but maybe to take it to another level I would say it is not just false, but highly competitive as well. This is a reflection of how tight it is because you win a match and you jump two or three spots. What I have picked up is that those who still have to play their matches require mental strength to deal with that. They are dealing with teams that have points and they are trying to catch-up. This means there is going to be workload on the players and dynamics change – suspension, lack of form and injuries.”
Chiefs will have to carry on winning their matches then to keep the pressure on Wits and the like. They are most certainly favourites to beat Highlands Park, who are finding it difficult to move away from the relegation zone in 15th place. Amakhosi are chasing a fifth league win in a row, while their opponents are still hoping to end their horrid run of just two victories in 17 matches.
“We have the confidence as a result of our victories, but there is a challenge with that as well and that is we might be familiar and complacent,” Komphela said. “We don’t want that. This (league race) only comes to an end after the next 13 matches.”
The last time the two sides met in September, Chiefs won 1-0 through a controversial George Lebese penalty and enjoyed a seven-game unbeaten run thereafter. – @superjourno