Steve's looking increasingly Shaky: Kaizer Chiefs coach Komphela needs less words, more wins

TROUBLED TIMES: Steve Komphela and Orlando
Pirates coach Muhsin Ertugral, who has already fallen

THE demise of Kaizer Chiefs as THE footballing force in South Africa is just slow enough to escape labels like “crisis” and “disaster”. But it’s not far off.

Yes, we should be more worried about our national side. Banana Bafana beat Senegal, only for coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba to find himself suspended for the friendly 1-1 draw against Mozambique for “unacceptable behaviour” (finger wagging, accusing Danny Jordaan of "not supporting me" etc).

HELP REQUIRED: How most listen to Steve
Komphela's post-match interviews 

I am reliably informed Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic will leave Uganda, where the local FA are struggling to pay his salary, to take over South Africa after AFCON 2017 in Gabon next February.

Shaky will fight for his job. Micho may be persuaded to go elsewhere. But SAFA have 10 months to wait before they resume World Cup qualifying action against the Cape Verde Islands in August 2017. Kaizer Chiefs, apparently supported by 15 million South Africans (that number is falling fast) have no such luxury.

They are back in action on Wednesday night against their former coach Stuart Baxter’s SuperSport United at what may just be a near-deserted FNB Stadium.

There were plenty of fans for their clash at Loftus Versveld against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday. So many it forced a 15 minute delay to the 3pm kick off. But it looked suspiciously like Masandawana’s KaboYellow were almost equal in numbers with the mighty AmaKhosi.

On the field, Sundowns have been ahead of Kaizer Chiefs for some time… probably since the day Baxter, who won the title twice in three years, decided to leave Bobby Motaung’s tortured regime weeks after his second championship.

Stuart told me he would leave if Bobbytrap, last week revealed in the Sunday World to have lost millions in a shopping centre deal, wouldn’t let him play a role in transfer dealings.

Of course Bobby, without a CV but in charge of the family business with his dad getting doddery, denied him that. And his replacement Steve Komphela has been suffering ever since.

Last season, under the sophisticated eye of Komphela, Chiefs finished fifth in the PSL after Motaung decided not to give PSL player of the year Tefu Mashamaite and top scorer Mandla Masango pay increases.

This season Bobby went a step further, publicly announcing a list of 20 players he wanted to get rid of, including R5m-a-year Siyanda Xulu and other players still under contract.

There were whispers of Komphela being not entirely happy. Especially when Motaung, having promised to lash out R50m on replacements, only spent about R5m on a bunch of free signings, two Chicken Inn Zimbabweans and Lewis Macha, a young Zambia playing in Mozambique.

I predicted disaster but Komphela confounded my pessimism with a strong start. While Mamelodi Sundowns - off winning the African Champions League - and BidvestWits fell behind in the fixture list, Chiefs made a cheeky trip to the top of the PSL.

But in truth, it was never going to last. Komphela has fiddled with his forwards, messed with his midfield and strewn his strikers all over the place.

His once-fantastic post-match talks have become mundane. Sometimes he’ll occasionally grasp for a phrase along the lines of “statistics are like a bikini, they don’t cover everything” but in truth we have seen him struck down by the pressure of running a big club having NEVER won a trophy in his career.

On Saturday, Sundowns were just too good for his bargain-basement squad. Chiefs scored a fortunate opener from what was clearly a Rama Mphahlele cross. Tebogo Langerman immediately hit back with an equaliser and Sbu Vilakazi - who always said he wanted to go to Chiefs but they refused to make a decent offer to Wits - produced a gloriously ironic winner.

Komphela produced the usual dross after the game, talking about concentration and improvement, but in truth referee Daniel Bennett allowed them to escape a clear Percy Tau penalty and Itumeleng Khune made a couple of good saves to keep the scoreline sensible.

And for the first time in 18 mediocre months, Komphela looks seriously vulnerable. Midway through the second half, he threw on injury-plagued free signing Keagan Buchanan as Chiefs searched for a winner. But instead of taking off defensive midfielder Willard Katsande, who wasn’t having his finest afternoon, he benched Siphiwe Tshabalala, who can always be relied on for a good delivery or a cunning free-kick.

That was the shaky substitution of a troubled coach. A defensive move when his side were crying out for attacking inspiration.

Komphela sent lofty defenders Tower Mathoho and Rama forward late on in an attempt to force an equaliser. But by then 87 minutes had been played. On the social networks, resignation had already set in. Another defeat, another disappointment.

Shakes Mashaba may be in difficulty with the national job. But I suspect Komphela is rapidly heading for the same fate. Big jobs demand big personalities. People who have won major silverware. Neither man measures up.

Why Orlando Pirates fans SHOULD be revolting: Kaizer Chiefs the last Invincibles standing

NOT TOO SHABBY: Siphiwe Tshabalala, scorer of the first goal on Saturday

My son is Buccaneer. He’s nine. Already the double-treble emblazoned on the front of his first Orlando Pirates shirt is starting to fade to pink. My missus is a Sea Robber too. She was hiding with the dog behind the sofa by the time Kaizer Chiefs scored their second goal in the Soweto Derby on Saturday.

To be honest, in the nicest possible way, Orlando Pirates fans are revolting. And if they’re not, they should be. They are behind promoted Chippa United and Q2 winners Polokwane City in the PSL standings as I write. The ridiculous appointment of previously failed Serbian head coach Vladimir Vermecovic is now history and caretaker Eric Tinkler needs a miracle and a few million rand to turn things around.

On the other hand, Chiefs boss Stuart Baxter will not have missed the ironic detail on Saturday afternoon. While his side were extending their unbeaten PSL start to 14 games, Chelsea’s “invincibles” were tripped up by Newcastle United.

While the AmaKhosi debated a habitually goalless Soweto Derby first half in the dressing room underneath Soccer City, Jose Mourinho’s men finally came unstuck despite Didier Drogba’s late goal.

And within seconds of the final whistle blowing on the Blues 2-1 defeat at St James’ Park 8000km north, Siphiwe Tshabalala finished Bernard Parker’s cross with a near-perfect left-foot volley to put Chiefs 1-0 ahead against Orlando Pirates.

Reneilwe Letsholonwane managed to miss from three yards before George Lebese produced the moment of the match: a low cross so good  substitute Siphelele Mthembu only needed to fall over the ball to score with his trailing leg.

And that was that. While Baxter enjoyed a FIFTH successive Soweto Derby without defeat, Chelsea were watching Manchester City close the gap at the top of the Premier League to just three points.

Baxter’s no mug. He knows reigning champions Mamelodi Sundowns are now second, waiting for the same sort of collapse which saw the AmaKhosi caught and beaten last season by some distance.

With Bidvest Wits also picking up a win over the weekend, Baxter said: "We haven’t won anything yet. Of course I’m delighted with this result but if I try and analyse, the first half was poor, for both teams.

"I thought it was too slow, there were too many mistakes and a dearth of real chances.”

In truth, NEITHER SIDE managed a shot on target in those turgid opening 45 minutes. Did Chelsea’s demise spark Baxter’s men in to action?

Baxter added: "We played fantastically well in the first 20 minutes of the second half. We could have killed the game off, 2-0, but we didn't. It's a bad habit and we let them came back at us.

DOGGED APPROACH: Soweto derby in Collins household

"You  have to take into account how big this Soweto Derby is, the boys were very nervous, they know what’s at stake in a game like this.

"But you know me. There is a long way to go. I am delighted tonight but tomorrow everything is back to normal again and we’ll be working hard."

With both Sundowns and Chiefs off to tackle the African Champions League, anything could yet happen. Gaps can disappear. What was it Tefu Mashmaite said last week: “We don’t want to talk about a lead at the top, remember what happened last year.”

But the truth is, if Chiefs beat Platinum Stars they’ll have 39 points after 15 games. With 30 to play, that means they can justifiably hope to double that to a record haul of 78, 13 better than the 65-point record set by Sundowns last season.

But what can we say about Orlando Pirates, overtaken by the likes of unfashionable Polokwane City later on Saturday evening? Caretaker Eric Tinkler, now 9^th, talked about “low morale” and “lack of confidence”.

It’s hard to blame the former Barnsley and Bafana midfielder as he tries to pick up the pieces after Vladimir Vermecovic’s chaotic reign. With Mamelodi Sundowns next up tomorrow (Wednesday), Tinkler continues to tell impatient fans that Lehlohonolo Majoro and Kermit Erasmus are “too similar to play up front together” which is simply nonsense.

Truth is, VV was ALWAYS a terrible choice. Truth is, Senzo Meyiwa would have been embarrassed by recent Pirates results. Truth is, something needs to be done at Orlando.

A shorter version of this story appears in www.thenewage.co.za today.

BAFANA'S FUTURE IS HERE: flying off to Tanzania with the unbeaten Under 17 AmaJimbos

Shaping our future: AmaJimbos coach Molefi Ntseki

OVER the next five days, I hope to find out if South African football has a future. I’m pretty sure it has. And it’s brighter than we think.

I leave for Dar Es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, tomorrow afternoon with Bafana Bafana’s Under 17 squad…. the AMAJIMBOS.

On Friday, at 3pm South African time, the lads face Tanzania in the away leg of their 2015 African Youth Championship qualifier at the 7,000-capacity Azam Stadium.

Having just watch a fascinating World Cup in Brazil devoid of our senior men’s squad – Gordon Igesund’s qualifying failure has been well documented around these parts – there is a general feeling of pessimism in South African football with the PSL and SAFA apparently unable to produce competitive national teams as they bang their heads together.

But given their preparation for the Tanzania qualifier, the Under 17s appear ready to defy this hopelessness and I hope to be able to bring to my readers a taste of our future stars as I work with Dominic Chimhavi, the SAFA Head of Communications, and team manager Barney Kujane,

The AmaJimbos’ preparation has been impeccable thus far. First came two friendlies against Botswana – won 2-0 and 4-0 – followed by last week’s trip to Lesotho, where the youngsters chalked up 2-0 and 1-0 wins. That’s four wins, nine goals scored, NONE conceded. Not bad for a country with no footballing future.

Under 17 coach Molefi Ntseki says: “The preparatory tour was a big success for us. I believe all the traveling has really helped us to prepare thoroughly for Tanzania.

“I am confident that going to Dar Es Salaam we will keep the same spirit that prevailed over the last two weeks, as well as the mental strength. We have become one big happy family. 

"The AmaJimbos are starting to show understanding of what is expected of them and also the demands of the game at international level.”

The future right here: The AmaJimbos squad

The only new addition to the 18-man squad is Liam Jordan of Bidvest Wits who was unable to join the squad in Botswana and Lesotho. Jordan is the son of the late Bafana striker Keryn and has impressed Wits no-nonsense boss Gavin Hunt since he returned to South Africa from New Zealand, where his father ended his goal-laden career. Liam was named Player of the Tournament at the Under 17 South African Championship in April, where Wits beat Chiefs in the final.

Sanele Tshabalala, the young Kaizer Chiefs stopper, was voted best goalkeeper at that tournament in Soweto while Vuyo Mkatshana from Wits scored against Lesotho last weekend. Captain Nelson Maluleka from SuperSport scored three in two games on the tour of Botswana.

The full AmaJimbos squad features SIX players from SuperSport United’s academy and just one from PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns and Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs:

GOALKEEPERS: Mondli MPOTO (SuperSport Academy); Sanele TSHABALALA (Kaizer Chiefs Academy).

DEFENDERS: Simon NQOI (SuperSport Academy); Samuel NKOMO (Gauteng Province);  Notha Nature NGCOBO (Mamelodi Sundowns Academy); Keanu Gregory CUPIDO (Diambars Academy); Thendo MUKUMELA (Limpopo Province); Katlego MOHAMME (SuperSport Academy); Tshepiso MAHLANGU (SuperSport Academy).

MIDFIELDERS: Athenkosi DLALA (SuperSport Academy); Sibongakonke Ntuthuko MBATHA (School of Excellence); Nelson MALULEKE (SuperSport Academy); Liam JORDAN (Bidvest Wits); Felix NOGE (Harmony Academy); Vuyo Junior MANTJIE (Harmony Academy).

STRIKERS: Luvuyo Katlego MKATSHANA (Bidvest Wits Academy); Khanyiso MAYO (Eastern Cape Province); Edwin SEKHWAMA (School of Excellence).

SOCCERBALLZ! my innovative football show on www.ballz.co.za with Mark Fish airs every Thursday from 9am-11am. See Ballz' channel for our growing library of fascinating football interviews with the big names. Ballz will also provide daily World Cup updates from next week.

You can also follow me on www.twitter.com/nealcol for all the latest sports news and read my “Neal and Pray” column every Tuesday in www.thenewage.co.za.