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Komphela resigned to losing Gordinho

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Lorenzo Gordinho set for Kaizer Chiefs return

Defender Lorenzo Gordinho is set to return to parent club Kaizer Chiefs in December, leaving Bloemfontein Celtic coach Steve Komphela scrambling for a replacement in defence.

Gordinho joined Phunya Sele Sele in January on a one-year loan deal, which saw midfielder Kabelo Mahlasela join Amakhosi.

Komphela, who was awarded Coach of the Month for August, revealed that he is in a bit of a precarious position due to the loss of the influential Alfred Ndegane, who requested that his contract be terminated earlier this month, in addition to the imminent return of Gordinho to Chiefs.

‘The centre of our defence is an issue currently. I think it [the Fifa break] will give us an opportunity to work on the central [defence],’ he told Kickoff.

‘We need to find a partner for Gordinho and, mind you, we might lose Gordinho in December, so we need to fast-track [Wandisile] Letlabika because he is our next possible candidate, and also work on Thato Lingwati. So this Fifa break will come in handy for us to find a partnership in the centre.

‘He played about 60 minutes in an MDC match, which is a good sign. But the PSL and MDC are different, but the beauty of it is that he at least got 60 minutes and we are building him.

‘If he can complete 75 to 80 [minutes], then we know by December we will be OK,’ he concluded.

Letlabika’s last appearance for Celtic came in the Telkom Knockout final against Bidvest Wits last year where he sustained a knee injury that has kept him sidelined since.

Photo: Gallo Images