It could have been three-all – Komphela

Steve Komphela rued the missed goalscoring opportunities at the Soweto Derby. “We could have scored three goals.” However, he also agreed that Orlando Pirates could have netted a few times as well. “It could have been three-all,” the Amakhosi coach reflected.

Komphela admitted that Chiefs did not really get out of the starting blocks in the first half: “Pirates dominated because of the way they were set-up, also overloading their midfield. We had to be patient and it was good to see that we kept our shape defensively.

“Our stabilising pass, the first after having won possession of the ball, was also not good and that’s why we struggled to attack. As a result of this, Bernard Parker was left isolated up-front.”

It was always going to be a bit tricky to play the Soweto Derby only four days after having had to go all out to beat another rival, Mamelodi Sundowns, the Chiefs coach felt. “Besides that,” Komphela added, “our opponents usually tweak their tactics against us.

“That makes them more difficult to predict. Pirates also made a few changes since their last game in mid-week against Platinum Stars. That’s why we had to adapt at half-time and we did much better in the second half.”

The Amakhosi coach felt that Joseph Molangoane improved significantly after the break. “He had all these turns and tweaks in the first half, much to the delight of our supporters.

“But I realised that there wasn’t any real threat as a result of these actions. I therefore asked him to play higher up in the second half, which worked very well and he was much more threatening. This also boosted his confidence and that of the team.”

Komphela was, of course, disappointed to not get three points on Saturday, but he also stressed that four points from two tough matches after the Fifa-break is just fine. It helped the Glamour Boys to stay in fourth position on the Absa Premiership log, having gained 13 point from nine encounters.

“We just need to keep pushing,” the coach concluded. “We want to win every match.”

Chiefs next host a Telkom Knockout Last 16 fixture against AmaZulu at its alternative home ground at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, 28 October (kick-off is at 20:15).