Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela hopes that “things have turned in our favour” after a rocky start to the season, but he knows better than to underestimate his former team Free State Stars in Wednesday’s Premiership clash in Orkney.
Komphela was under immense pressure after the Amakhosi were knocked out of the MTN8 by newcomers Cape Town City 1-0 last month, while they failed to emerge with a win in their first two league games against Wits (2-1 defeat) and Platinum Stars (1-1 draw).
But the international break did them a world of good as they are unbeaten in September. Following the stalemate against Platinum, a second-half George Lebese penalty handed Chiefs victory over Highlands Park away, and last Saturday they dispatched Maritzburg United 2-0 at the FNB Stadium through first-half strikes by Lorenzo Gordinho and William Twala.
Komphela is not getting carried away, though, as he knows that Stars will be keen to put one over their former manager, who attained success in his two spells in charge of the Free State team in the 2008-09 season (fourth in the league) and from 2010-13 (ninth, sixth and seventh).
Stars have had a disastrous start to their campaign following the appointment of Frenchman Denis Lavagne as a replacement for Italian Giovanni Solinas, who left the club for personal reasons.
Lavagne was fired just three games into the new season for a “breakdown” in his relationship with the club bosses and players, and for having “lost it in the dressing room”, Stars general manager Rantsi Mokoena said in a statement last week.
Development coach Themba Sithole has taken over on an interim basis, and Stars managed to earn only their second point of the season with a 0-0 draw against SuperSport United on Saturday.
“I worked at Free State Stars and I know them,” Komphela told the Kaizer Chiefs website on Tuesday. “They love winning, and one thing I know is that they don’t want to be seen at the bottom of the table.
“We have to be alert because they are going through changes in their technical team. With Themba Sithole in charge, it is not going to be easy for us. I had an opportunity to work with some of the players there – they have good qualities and attributes to give us a tough match.”
But Chiefs will be out to build on their two-match winning streak against Stars at the James Motlatsi Stadium in Orkney on Wednesday (7.30pm kickoff), with Twala, Lebese and Zimbabwean Mitchell Katsvairo combining well on attack, while captain Itumeleng Khune was Man of the Match against Maritzburg at the weekend.
However, new striker Ryan Moon won’t be available for six weeks after undergoing knee surgery on Monday.
“This is a crucial match for us. It is not going to be easy. We hope things have turned in our favour after the encouraging wins in our last two matches,” Komphela said. “They are a difficult team to predict. We have to go there mindful of the threat they pose.”
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