Steve Komphela insists that he won’t change Kaizer Chiefs’ new-found formation despite playing to a goalless draw against Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby.

Following a string of injuries, Komphela adjusted his formation to 4-2-3-1 with winger Joseph Molangoane playing at full-back which switches to a 5-4-1 when they are on the defensive.

The former Maritzburg United mentor debuted the formation in Chiefs’ impressive victory against Mamelodi Sundowns and despite not garnering the same success against their arch-rivals, Komphela insists that he will continue to tweak their set-up based on the availability of his players.

‘To be realistic, who [of the injured players] do you get back that can change things? In the absence of getting people back in time, you depend on confidence,’ he told media at a Telkom Knockout press conference.

‘When Molangoane starts going forward and you see he can still track back and defend then you allow him to do that, you encourage him.

‘That changes, tweaks and modifies your game to a point where you play to your strengths and the sweetness of your supporters. So it’s a question of confidence and you build on that.

‘As a coach, you start to observe that there’s no threat so you don’t hold him back. Philani [Zulu] as well – at half-time we told them, “Push a bit higher, take your line of confrontation a bit higher.”

‘That’s why the game got better. Do we take confidence from that? Yes. Are we likely to do something about it in the next match? We should, if we are thinkers,’ he said.

Chiefs’ next assignment sees them face AmaZulu in the last-16 of the TKO tournament this weekend at the Moses Mabhida Stadium with kickoff set for 20h15.

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