Johannesburg - In his first public assessment of Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela, club chairman Kaizer Motaung praised the former Bafana Bafana captain for having already reached two cup finals in succession and lashed out at critics who have argued the team has lacked big match temperament this season.
Motaung moved swiftly to replace Stuart Baxter, a two-time Premiership title winner in his three-year stint at Chiefs, with Komphela in June. But the Amakhosi supporters have been divided in their support for the coach, especially given the slow start to the campaign and the team’s 1-0 defeat to Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 cup final in Port Elizabeth two months ago.
“I think he has done very well so far. We know there will always be sceptics out there who have certain expectations of the coach,” said Motaung, who was speaking shortly after the five candidates for this year’s BBC Footballer of the year award were announced at the Chiefs Village in Naturena at the weekend.
“Of course I was a bit disappointed that we lost the MTN8 because I thought we should have won it in terms of our performances. But you win a cup final based on what you do on the day, not the form that brought you there. And our team did not arrive to the party on the day.”
It is that display against the Urban Warriors that set the wheels of criticism in motion. Komphela, who clearly has the backing of his boss, has a second chance to silence his detractors and win a first major trophy as a club coach when Amakhosi host Mamelodi Sundowns in the Telkom Knockout final on December 16.
“We obviously have to exercise a bit of patience, but Steve is on the right track. I don’t think because he is now at Chiefs people should expect him to be delivering trophies left right and centre” Motaung said.
On the assertion that the club, under Komphela, has lacked the bite to kill of big matches, the chairman said: “It’s very strange to hear that because we haven’t changed the team.
“Steve has inherited the same team we had (under Baxter), with maybe three or four changes in the side. If someone makes a statement like that, I need to understand where they are coming from because these are experienced players to start with. And they have played so many cup finals. Some of them have even won the league at least twice with Chiefs. So, I don’t understand.”
Motaung suggested he developed a thick skin as far as opinions about coaches after he was also questioned for appointing Baxter, a man who, at the time, was best remembered for failing to help Bafana qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
“People also didn’t give us a chance when we hired Baxter. But – against all odds – he won two trophies in his first year.”
He said Komphela, with the help of his backroom staff, was set up for success. “Yes, the coach is the leader, but he can’t know everything about the team on his own because the game has evolved of late. This shouldn’t be about an individual because the club will not make any progress if that is the case. We don’t hire and fire, and that is not going to change,” the chairman said. - Cape Times