There is no place to hide when it comes to taking a penalty, especially in a shootout. Just ask William Twala, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
Kaizer Chiefs have crashed out of the Telkom Knockout. Their mini revival now seems like a distant memory after the goals dried up and yesterday’s penalty shootout defeat.
The 2016 TKO has allowed fans to feast on the drama that unfolds during a penalty shootout. First came Sundowns’ stuttering and stumbling effort against Stuart Baxter’s composed spot-kickers. Football can be a cruel game and it certainly was as 10-man SuperSport advanced after their men excelled from 12 yards away. Thabo Nthethe, Anthony Laffor and Sibusiso Vilakazi will have cold sweats when it comes to their next spot kick while the likes of Clayton Daniels, Ronwen Williams and Dean Furman probably can’t wait to test themselves from the spot again.
Penalties are a lottery. They wipe the slate of the previous 120 minutes clean and place the pressure on those few selected players to send their sides to the next round.
It’s a moment to make a name for oneself – good or bad. Ask Williams, who sent South Africa to the Rio Olympics with his efforts in the U23 Afcon. But you might tread carefully if you ask William Twala …
With Chiefs rebounding twice in the game against the more unfancied Free State Stars, it was up to Twala to extend the penalty shooutout when he stepped up.
It was already in sudden-death mode and he advanced from the halfway line knowing full well that the fate of his side rested on his shoulders.
Having watched my fair share of football, give or take 20 years, I’m always concerned as a neutral when a player walks up to the box with just the occasional sheepish glance to find his bearings or analyse the goalkeeper’s mood.
The next nervous indicator is a player having his hands on his hips as he waits for the whistle to allow him to start his routine. Twala looked like the moment had gripped him. A miss was in the making …
He trotted forward and tamely struck his effort not more than waist high and certainly without any power, leaving the goalkeeper with the simplest of saves to make. Nerves are to players what kryptonite was to Superman.
In football, confidence is king. The world’s best players demand the opportunity to write the headlines the way they want it written. But it appears the Chiefs playmaker’s mind was not where it needed to be when the team and their fans needed him most.
Photo: Anesh Debiky/Gallo Images
