The thought of quitting Kaizer Chiefs never crossed my mind‚ says embattled Komphela

05 October 2017 - 13:11 By Mahlatse Mphahlele
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Kaizer Chiefs head coach Steve Komphela being interviewed during the Absa Premiership 2017/18 football match between Kaizer Chiefs and Baroka FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on 30 September 2017.
Kaizer Chiefs head coach Steve Komphela being interviewed during the Absa Premiership 2017/18 football match between Kaizer Chiefs and Baroka FC at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on 30 September 2017.
Image: Gerald Duraan/BackpagePix

Embattled Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela says he is not going anywhere.

Komphela has faced a barrage of criticism from irate Chiefs fans since the start of the season‚ but the besieged coach says he has no intention of throwing in the towel.

“Winners never quit and quitters never win‚" he said on Thursday'.

"You don’t go around saying ‘eish‚ I am not making a breakthrough.

"Maybe I have a different perspective of life but the thought of quitting never crossed my mind.”

A section of the Chiefs fans have continued to voice their displeasure with Komphela's regime for weeks now and some have gone as far as verbally abusing the coach and even pelting him with missiles after games.

He has exited numerous stadiums in the company of security personel‚ but the Chiefs mentor is adamant that he is not going anywhere.

“I am looking more at the project here at Chiefs‚ the excitement of the challenge is that you want to break through.

"I don’t want to take myself out of what a human being is and I don’t want to say I am abnormal.

"I don’t get to think like that.

"Maybe I am wired differently‚ which is why I am in this position.

"Every coach is abnormal‚ which is why you will have coaches going through fire and the rest of the world asking can’t he see the fire‚” he said‚ as the club prepared for the Macufe Cup against Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday.

Komphela said he understands the Chiefs fans' frustration with the club's poor run of results and he's well aware that they are tired of hearing excuses when the team fails to perform.

“There are two things in football‚ results and reasons‚" he said.

"I am sure that people are tired of reasons because even ourselves we are tired. "We are sick and tired of saying that we conceded a goal from a set-piece‚ we conceded from lack of pressure around the box‚ we surrendered a lead that should not have been.

"There has been too many reasons‚ for too long‚ and people don’t need that.”

Chiefs are sixth on the standings and they have only won nine points from a possible 21 in seven outings.

After the Fifa international week‚ things will not get any easier as AmaKhosi will then face Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates next.

But for now‚ Komphela admitted that he'll take a win from anywhere‚ even from their friendly Macufe Cup clash against Celtic on Sunday afternoon.

“We need results in the Macufe Cup so that we get our confidence back.

"But there are a lot of positives that are unfortunately overshadowed by results.

"It is important to win because our next two league fixtures are against Sundowns and Pirates.

"Going forward it is important to have confidence so that we take players into the Sundowns and Pirates matches with the morale high‚” he concluded.


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