Orlando Pirates assistant coach, Rulani Mokwena, says Kaizer Chiefs has been at a disadvantage from a technical perspective since the departure of Steve Komphela from Naturena.
Mokwena was speaking ahead of the Soweto Derby at the FNB Stadium on Saturday. He says Amakhosi were a better organised outfit during the Komphela era.
Komphela resigned from Chiefs three matches before the end of last season. It came after a string of unsatisfactory results which infuriated the fans.
Giovanni Solinas replaced the Free State-born coach. It was a slow start to the season for Amakhosi, however they have managed to pick up form drastically.
This year alone, Chiefs have made a few quality acquisitions, that include Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat and Lebogang Manyama to name a few.
The Pirates assistant coach says the new playing signings have carried them this season.
Rulani Mokwena, Pirates assistant coach says: “In losing from a technical leadership perspective, I think technically to the personnel they have made huge strides and they have improved, the players that they have brought in have probably gone in to cover for the lack of technical expertise on the bench that was there last season.”
☠️The harder you work in training, the easier it is to play & great are the rewards. Congratulations to our #TKO2018 Man of the Match, Ben Motshwari pic.twitter.com/pZdx99x1WE
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) October 20, 2018
Komphela, who is now at Bloefontein Celtic, has had great start to the season, despite the club’s uncertain future.
Mokwena says: “The type of leader that he is, the tactical acumen that he possesses, I think if you compare the previous team to this team and from an organisational perspective, you can clearly see a lack a coach of that calibre without taking anything away from the current coach.”
Meanwhile, tickets for the much anticipated derby have been sold out a week before the match which has not been the case for derbies in the recent past.
Flattering as it may be, what is key for Mokwena is for his players to focus on the match and not on the occasion.
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