From an emphatic 4-1 win against fellow Premier League challengers SuperSport United a week earlier to surrendering their MTN8 title to Ajax Cape Town in the next match‚ where were the Kaizer Chiefs match-winners on Saturday afternoon?
“You cannot single out anybody because they have brought you this far‚ but on the day it was just not happening‚” was Amakhosi coach Steve Komphela’s response in his remarks after Ajax pipped them 1-0 to win the cup.
He is not one to lash out at his players after a defeat‚ but at least four names quickly pop-up: Willard Katsande‚ top goal-scorer George Lebese‚ Bernard Parker and captain Siphiwe Tshabalala.
These are the players that have made Chiefs tick either as a unit or simply on their individual brilliance so far this season and in past campaigns. However‚ they couldn’t add to their trophy collection and neither could they help their coach get the monkey off his back.
Komphela‚ who suffered his first loss since his arrival at Naturena‚ will have to continue his search for a winners’ medal as a club coach despite Amakhosi being hot favourites to defend their trophy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
“One has to admit that we didn’t play well. If you have three of four players in the squad‚ who are not having their normal game‚ then you are going to struggle. And compliments must go to Ajax. One thing we had to do was deal with Nathan Paulse ‚ who was handful‚ with matches of this nature fitting him perfectly‚” Komphela said.
Not only would a cup win have kept his detractors at bay‚ but the coach would have also maintained his unbeaten record at Chiefs in all competitions: “You could say the defeat is like a punch in the gut because losing is not nice. And losing at this level is even worse because all you need is a positive result in 90 minutes and then you have a trophy.
“I wasn’t even thinking about my first loss. What I am thinking is that we should have done better. There will be many more games to win and lose‚ but this one you can’t rectify.”
Cup final defeat a ‘punch in the gut’ for Komphela
“You cannot single out anybody because they have brought you this far‚ but on the day it was just not happening‚” was Amakhosi coach Steve Komphela’s response in his remarks after Ajax pipped them 1-0 to win the cup.
He is not one to lash out at his players after a defeat‚ but at least four names quickly pop-up: Willard Katsande‚ top goal-scorer George Lebese‚ Bernard Parker and captain Siphiwe Tshabalala.
These are the players that have made Chiefs tick either as a unit or simply on their individual brilliance so far this season and in past campaigns. However‚ they couldn’t add to their trophy collection and neither could they help their coach get the monkey off his back.
Komphela‚ who suffered his first loss since his arrival at Naturena‚ will have to continue his search for a winners’ medal as a club coach despite Amakhosi being hot favourites to defend their trophy at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
“One has to admit that we didn’t play well. If you have three of four players in the squad‚ who are not having their normal game‚ then you are going to struggle. And compliments must go to Ajax. One thing we had to do was deal with Nathan Paulse ‚ who was handful‚ with matches of this nature fitting him perfectly‚” Komphela said.
Not only would a cup win have kept his detractors at bay‚ but the coach would have also maintained his unbeaten record at Chiefs in all competitions: “You could say the defeat is like a punch in the gut because losing is not nice. And losing at this level is even worse because all you need is a positive result in 90 minutes and then you have a trophy.
“I wasn’t even thinking about my first loss. What I am thinking is that we should have done better. There will be many more games to win and lose‚ but this one you can’t rectify.”
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