‘Kaizer Chiefs had to sacrifice one person and it was me’ – Former Bafana Bafana star

Former Kaizer Chiefs right-back Siboniso Gaxa what happened between him and Steve Komphela at Amakhosi in 2016.

Having spent four successful years with the Glamour Boys, ‘Pa’ Gaxa left to join Bidvest Wits. During his time with Chiefs, the former Bafana Bafana defender won two league titles under Stuart Baxter.

After the English coach’s departure in 2015, Kaizer Chiefs hired Komphela as his replacement. Gaxa revealed that his relationship with the former Golden Arrows head coach deteriorated when they had disagreements over tactics.

“I was asked to voice myself, and I did. I said it. Sometimes, as a player, when you speak your mind, some coaches don’t like the truth. For me, it was the truth because, even after I left, nothing changed—it’s still the same. Even today, the team is still struggling, and it started back in 2016,” said Gaxa on Radio 2000 with Thabiso Mosia.

Gaxa on working under Komphela at Kaizer Chiefs

“I was raising issues, mostly about tactics and the approach to games. We weren’t winning matches; we were drawing too many games. I felt we needed to ask the players who had won under Stuart Baxter for help. I was honest. I knew my honesty might cause trouble, but I was willing to take that risk for the benefit of the team,” Gaxa said.

“There were issues between me and [Komphela], and I was questioning certain things about his system,” said the former Kaizer Chiefs defender.

“From that point, things just went sour between us. I don’t think he was inclined to keep me in the team the following season because I was questioning things. In the end, they had to sacrifice one person, and unfortunately, it was me.”

Komphela lasted just under three years at Kaizer Chiefs before he was replaced by Giovanni Solinas.

Are players allowed to question every tactic a coach applies?

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