Expect goals as Sundowns take on Chiefs in cup blockbuster: Komphela

There will be goals in Saturday's blockbuster Carling Knockout quarterfinal clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns at a packed FNB Stadium, if Downs assistant coach Steve Komphela is to be taken at his word.

Downs were big winners in the first round of this competition, thumping Lamontville Golden Arrows 5-0 while the team they're visiting at a ground expected to be sold-out by Saturday thrashed SuperSport United 4-0.

Komphela is not only impressed with the number of goals PSL players have been scoring in the opening third of the 2024-25 season, but also the spectacular nature of many of them.

Sundowns go to Saturday's match having seen their chief striker Peter Shalulile scoring a brace and partner Lucas Riberio scoring the other one in their 3-0 win over Cape Town City in a Betway Premiership match on Wednesday. Two of the three goals were gems.

Sundowns beat Chiefs 2-1 in their pulsating Betway Premiership played in front of a capacity crowd at the same venue late last month. Komphela expects more fireworks in the cup rematch.

“With regard to goal scoring, I think generally it's been a whole lot of factors. But maybe you need to do some research to confirm what I'm saying,” Komphela said at a pre-match press conference on Thursday, asked about the number and class of goals being scored this season.

“Based on my observation, the number of chances you create, the game model that you subscribe to; do you play a game that generates a lot of chances? Mamelodi Sundowns do. 

“There's a match we played and we scored five goals [against Arrows] and when you look at the scorers, it's five different players. [Against City] we had two players scoring out of three goals.

“When you see a whole lot of other players getting into a scoring position it then talks to a team that generally generates goals and does not rely on one striker. But then there's a beauty when you have a natural goal scorer who is on form.

“Look at Kaizer Chiefs [in their 2-2 draw against Magesi on Wednesday night], who scored the two goals [Mduduzi Shabalala]? The success of the PSL production immediately gets to be a success that benefits Bafana Bafana.

“When they score it also invites supporters, because in all honesty the chaos and the noise in a game of football is all about how you enter the opponent's box and score. The more entries, the more threats, the more goals and people will love that game.

“People support teams that score goals. For the game in South Africa to attract more fans, we need to score more goals. At the end of the day, you pay your money to watch goals. The excitement of goals is just a must in any football match.”

There was worry about Shalulie's goal drought early in the season as he didn't score in Sundowns' three MTN8 matches, the first five league games and in the two-legged preliminary tie in the Caf Champions League before breaking his duck against Arrows. 

“You don't put stress on something you know and realise it is so fragile,” said Komphela of Shalulile's start to the season.

“You have to find a way to cushion it to maturity. That's what we did with Peter, and these guys are professional. He knows that, 'You know what, I'm not in my best form and goals are not coming'.

“What you do as the coach is try to create scenarios, generate goals and put him in a position where he can score. That's what Sundowns have been doing.

“And the support from his teammates you could see. The whole bench was at the corner celebrating with Peter and I'm sure the supporters in the stands were also feeling the same vibe.   

“We do help without putting too much stress. When you're relaxed, you deliver a lot of material.”

Komphela, a former Chiefs coach, expects another tough match on Saturday as he believes there's improvement in Amakhosi's performance under their new boss Nasreddine Nabi.

“They do have their strengths, they do have their weaknesses. But there has been a significant element of belief, positiveness; there's aura and there's energy you feel. That energy comes from the results they acquired and how they see things unfolding.

“There's hope that this thing is going to click and it's good to see that because when that happens it puts everybody under pressure. All the teams in the league will wish they're at the top spot so that they will buck up knowing Chiefs are coming.”