Zwane Explains Why He Started Samkelo Against Downs

KAIZER CHIEFS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

On Tuesday, Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane responded to suggestions that starting Samkelo Zwane against Mamelodi Sundowns was a mistake.

The Amakhosi academy graduate was thrown in at the deep end to fill the void left by Njabulo Blom in a defensive midfield role, however, he was hauled off at half-time and replaced by Siyethemba Sithebe. Zwane admitted after the match that Sithebe gave the team “balance” as they created good chances in the second stanza.

Zwane conceded that the 21-year old did not have a good game in the 1-0 defeat to the Brazilians, but dismissed suggestions that it was a mistake to field him in the starting line-up. He said: “Samkelo, yes, he had not a good game but it was not a mistake for us to start with him because last week he had a good game and a week before he had a good game. So we don’t want to chop and change the team and unfortunately on this one, he couldn’t come to the party but it’s part of learning for him.”

The Glamour Boys legend went on to say that they will keep on trying to improve the team and alluded that they actually had better chances than Sundowns, but were let down by their decision-making in the final third. He said: “When you look at the performances of the players, we just have to look forward, I’m equally disappointed, I don’t know how the players are feeling, because it’s not that they have been performing badly. They have been trying their level best and unfortunately if there is one thing letting us down is us not taking our chances and the opposition punishing us and that’s where we are right now.”

Zwane concluded by saying: “We won’t give up, we’ll keep on training and try to be clinical in front of goal and also try to shut the backdoor in making sure that we don’t concede goals. When you look at (the game), I don’t think it was bad, I counted a few chances for Sundowns and us we had more clear-cut (chances), just poor decision-making.”