Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane believes that Kaizer Chiefs should have kept faith in Steve Komphela after the coach was sacked after three trophyless years towards the end of last season.
Komphela, now coaching at Golden Arrows, constantly spoke of the building process he was implementing at Naturena, but he never got to see out his project at the club, after their failure to progress to the Nedbank Cup final last season ultimately cost him his job following those infamous scenes at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Chiefs replaced Komphela with Giovanni Solinas, who was then subsequently replaced by Ernst Middendorp in December after Solinas’ own inconsistent run of form.
Middendorp had an immediate impact on the squad, but despite qualifying for the Nedbank Cup final, they went on a torrid run at the end of the Absa Premiership and ultimately finished ninth.
Speaking to the media after the final set of fixtures on Saturday, Mosimane stated that he thinks Komphela could have done a better job had the Soweto giants kept faith in him.
‘I think Steve had a good job there. I think Steve could have been third or second again, he did a very good job. I was not happy when they removed him, and always told you guys about that,’ said Mosimane.
‘You can remove him because he hasn’t won any title in the last three years, okay, but is he the only one? So, what guarantee next year other people will again? It’s tough, I feel sad for Steve.
‘Every team goes through that cycle, Sundowns went through that cycle of seven years [without a trophy], Liverpool went through that cycle of 15 years or 14 years. Milan are going through that cycle; you can go and look at every club, even Dortmund are going through that cycle. Those are big clubs with big stadiums.
‘So, Chiefs is going through that cycle. I can see coach [Ernst] Middendorp is brave, he wants youth, more youngsters, ”chicken springs”, as Muhsin Ertugral used to call them [at Ajax Cape Town]. They are quick, but you need a little bit of experience. But he has the experience of Khama [Billiat], my CBD has gone there. [Willard] Katsande, they have experience. Hopefully they will come back,’ he concluded.
