- Kaizer Chiefs were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup by Zambia's Red Arrows in a penalty shootout
- Khumalo singled out Reeve Frosler's body language at the penalty spot as a visible warning sign before he kicked
- The Amakhosi legend drew on a personal story from his playing days to make a pointed argument about squad leadership
Kaizer Chiefs icon Doctor Khumalo has raised serious concerns about leadership within the Amakhosi squad after the club's exit from the CAF Confederation Cup at the hands of Zambian outfit Red Arrows.
Chiefs had battled back to level the second-round tie in regulation time, with Bradley Cross scoring the only goal of the match to force a penalty shootout. The drama that followed proved costly, as Lebohang Maboe, Reeve Frosler and Ethan Chislett all failed to convert their spot-kicks, handing Red Arrows the tie.
Khumalo on player who shouldn't have taken penalty
Appearing on SABC2 after the match, the former midfielder expressed concern about Frosler's approach to the penalty spot, arguing that the defender's physical demeanour told its own story before a boot was even put to the ball.
"I said his body language was not a positive one; it was a little sluggish," Khumalo said.
For the 16V, the missed penalties were symptomatic of a deeper issue: the absence of vocal, protective leadership among the senior players in the dressing room.
"The question is, do we have leadership within the players, because they are certain players that can probably command to say 'no, sorry coach, I don't think so and so should take it'," he said.
Khumalo on leadership amongst Chiefs players
To illustrate what that kind of leadership looks like in practice, Khumalo reached back into his own career. He recalled an occasion when a teammate stepped in to shield him from taking a penalty after a poor individual performance.
"It happened to me when I was still playing. I had a bad game and the late Ace Ntsolengoe, the coach, selected me, and he said, 'Coach, I don't think you need to give Doc a penalty because I don't think he had a good game; let's protect him. ' "
Despite the pointed critique, Khumalo stopped well short of condemning the players who missed. He acknowledged the unpredictable nature of shootouts and praised the younger members of the squad for having the courage to step forward.
"It could've gone either way; they took their penalties [well], and the last one, which was the last hope of Kaizer Chiefs by Chislett, he missed it," he said. "Again, it's just to regroup, because taking of penalties, we differ how we take penalties. But pass the net."
The defeat brings Chiefs' CAF Confederation Cup campaign to a premature close and is expected to sharpen scrutiny on both the coaching staff and the playing group as the domestic season continues.
Source: Briefly News