Did the lack of PSL football in the weeks leading up to the final play a part in Kaizer Chiefs' 3-1 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2015 Telkom Knockout?
Mzansi's football fraternity is in deep discussion today, following Wednesday's TKO final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. As fans we are all professional couch coaches and to analyse a game after the fact is always easier than leading up to a game.
In discussion, one fan said, "Coach Steve (Komphela) should have played two out-and-out strikers, he was too defensive." Another fan said, "Why did he play Lucky Baloyi and Willard Katsande, the coach was too scared to lose and set-up too defensively!"
In several conversations, amongst a number of topics brought up by disgruntled Chiefs fans, I heard a fan say, "How could he (Komphela) play (Lorenzo) Gourdinho and (Morgan) Gould in such a big game? It's an untested combination."
The reality is that if the result had gone Chiefs' way, the Amakhosi supporters would be singing a different tune and praising the head coach for his decisions. However, the buck does stop with the head coach at the end of the day.
Pitso Mosimane has received the gratitude he deserves for clinching the trophy, and rightfully so. Give credit where it is due. Mosimane's tactical set-up played out like a well rehearsed nativity scene and he delivered an early Christmas gift to The Brazilian faithful.
Going into the tie, Chiefs were dealt a massive blow with the news that Erick 'Tower' Mathoho would not feature in the final, due to injury.
The club has battled to find a solid central defensive combination since Tefu Mashamaite left the team at the end of last season and with Tower having been ruled out, they were always going to be on the back foot.
Steve Komphela had Ivan Bukenya, Gourdinho, Gould, Siyanda Xulu and Daniel Cardoso available for selection ahead of the final, although Xulu is still shaking off his injury while Cardoso works his way to being completely match-fit.
Gourdinho and Gould were preferred to Bukenya, in what was an untested pairing and who individually have seen very little game time this season. The pairing proved to be Chiefs' Achilles heel on the day.
It would have been logical to try the combination out in a competitive fixture ahead of the final. To experiment in a fixture of this magnitude, the TKO final, against a well-drilled Sundowns outfit does not make sense.
The reality is that Komhepla did not have the opportunity to test the partnership, or in fact any central defensive partnerships, in any competitive outing. That is because Chiefs, or any other PSL side, had not played competitive football for almost four weeks.
South Africa's involvement in the 2015 U23 Afcon forced the PSL to break. Yes, we did qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, but the likes of Komphela had no opportunity to work on his set-up in the interim.
What do you think? Were the odds stacked against Coach Komphela from the on-set as a result of the PSL schedule?
