The 2015/16 season will surely be one Steve Komphela will want to forget. Will he go into the 2016/17 campaign with the backing of the black & gold, or will he be dodging missiles once again?
Taking over the reins from Stuart Baxter was no easy task, just ask Steve! At times, I felt quite sorry for the 48-year-old, given the fact that the expectations at Chiefs were at their highest for the Kroonstad-born man.
Here is my opinion on the situation: It is a fact that Chiefs are one of the most successful teams in the country, and with a large support base, the fans are used to tasting victory. Losing is definitely not part of their DNA, and their expectations can drive any coach up the wall! Steve is a good coach, not a Stuart Baxter, but let us not take anything away from his coaching abilities.
There are a few challenges that need to be overcome at Naturena. Firstly, it was great to see that the club had a massive exodus of players who had been warming the bench but there were one or two exits that raised eyebrows. Nevertheless, there is now a clean slate for Komphela to build his desired team from, but there could be more problems ahead for the coach who already has no more hair to lose!
With rumours circulating taht there may be some financial problems, this would be a huge dent in any plans Komphela may have had in place. Free agents seem to be the only answer to Chiefs' problems, and they have, over the years, acquired numerous players for free.
Given time and the right players, though, Steve will surely bring glory back to Naturena.
Do you think Komphela would be able to take Chiefs back to the top, given the opportunity to buy the right players?