Kaizer Chiefs without coach David Mathebula for vital Sundowns fixture

Kaizer Chiefs head into the final week of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) season hamstrung for their last outing – a clash with their archrivals Mamelodi Sundowns, which could decide who wins the title – because they’ll be without their coach David Mathebula.
He’ll be in the Free State to complete training for his CAF B Licence, which means the very last match of the GDL season, at Naturena, will see the Amakhosi missing his guidance.
In an exclusive interview with SuperSport Schools Plus, Mathebula said that, despite his unavailability, he trusts his support staff to get the job done at home against Sundowns.
Chiefs have two games to play on the weekend to complete their schedule, and the news was not altogether negative for the club. “I will only be here for the TS Galaxy game,” Mathebula said, “and then, on Sunday, the other coaches will take care of the team.
“I thought we’d be done by now but, obviously, the scheduling comes from Safa, so there’s nothing we can do,” he explained.
“The other coaches understand the demands of the team. When you work for this brand, there’s no easy match. Every game is a big game for us.
“This one, we’re playing Sundowns and when you play the so-called big clubs, it’s all about the bragging rights. The coaches understand the demands, so there’s nothing much I have to say.”
Read: Last match could decide GDL title
Chiefs head into their weekend’s assignments in third place in the GDL standings, with Highlands Park at the top, followed by Sundowns, in second place. Mathematically, the Soweto powerhouse can still win the league, but a lot will have to go their way for that to happen.
Firstly, they will need Highlands Park to lose against East Rand Athletic Club. Also, Sundowns would have to go down to Sevens Academy, and they, themselves, would have to beat TS Galaxy and Sundowns.
Recognising that his team has a slender chance of winning the league, Mathebula said they could have done better in the past two months.
“We’re not in control of this situation,” he acknowledged. “We have to win these games and expect the others to lose and stuff like that. The education part in all of this is to learn that we have to be in control of all of our games so that when we get to this stage we don’t expect anyone to do us favours to win the league.
“That’s what we’ve learned this season. We lost against Tuks and Panorama, two out of the last five games. This was all towards the end of the season and that’s not the time where you can lose points.”
Consistency was key, Mathebula said: “As a coach, I want to be in control of everything, so this situation taught me that I have to be on top of the season, so that I can control the situation toward the end of the season, which is something we didn’t take care of in the middle of the season, and even in the beginning of the season because we drew some games which we weren’t supposed to draw.
“Now we have to hope Highlands Park loses the game and we beat Galaxy and Sundowns. So, I think sometimes we ask too much from the man above to do us those favours.”
Despite all the odds that are stacked against Mathebula and his young troops, Chiefs have heart and are calm under pressure and their two titles this season – the Gauteng Leg of the Engen Knockout Challenge and the national Engen Champ of Champs title – are proof of the club’s ability to perform when under pressure.
Playing for the renowned club comes with its challenges, Mathebula said: “When you’re playing for Kaizer Chiefs every game is difficult. Whether you’re playing against a small team or a big team, playing for Chiefs you have to perform, so you’re under pressure every game.
“I think the boys have done well. Psychologically, the players are in a better state of mind in understanding pressure, so we are not cracking. That’s an advantage. You hardly see players playing under pressure and playing with confidence but our players have shown that [they can do that] this season.”