Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela says they were punished by Bidvest Wits striker Lehlohonolo Majoro due to poor defending and finishing.

The Soweto giants played to a 1-1 draw against the defending champions at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night after Majoro’s strike cancelled out Ryan Moon’s goal.

Komphela was pleased with his side’s defending until they conceded the goal, which he felt they could have handled better.

‘At Chiefs, a draw is a loss. We had chances to win the match,’ he declared in post-match comments.

‘We defended well until we conceded from a cross.

‘If you fail to defend your box, you pay a price – Majoro punished us, heading the ball in.

‘We should have won this match, but will continue fighting. We just have to keep going,’ he added.

Komphela also praised the perfomance of striker Ryan Moon, who netted his third goal of the campaign.

‘Ryan is a born striker. You see him when it matters most, that’s what strikers are made off. I’m happy with his performances.

‘We need to support [Gustavo] Páez to regain his confidence. We know what he’s capable of, and I am confident that he will return to form soon.

‘I thought Siphelele Ntshangase should have buried the one-on-one chance he got. That should have been the winner.

When quizzed about new signings Leonardo Castro and Ntshangase’s absence from the starting lineup, Komphela cited the move as being a tactical one.

‘It’s a selection process. We started with Moon and he scored. It’s the same with Siphelele.

‘Do you start with him and leave Siphiwe Tshabalala on the bench? He provided the assist for Moon’s goal. It’s all a matter of selection.

‘It is far from finished. It’s still a long way to go until the end of the season. We wanted to win this match, but it wasn’t [meant] to be,’ he concluded.

Photo:Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix