Kaizer Chiefs coach explains Lebohang Maboe’s early substitution in Golden Arrows clash

Lebohang Maboe was substituted during Kaizer Chiefs’ goalless draw against Golden Arrows at the Mbombela Stadium after suffering an injury, rather than being taken off because of an underwhelming performance.

The midfielder had a major opportunity to put Amakhosi ahead when Chiefs were awarded a penalty, but his effort was saved by the Golden Arrows goalkeeper, denying the visitors a crucial breakthrough in the PSL encounter.

Despite the missed spot-kick, Maboe remained involved in the game before being forced off in the second half after picking up an injury.

His substitution raised questions given the timing of his departure, but Kaizer Chiefs coach explained after the match that the decision was prompted by the midfielder’s fitness issue.

Speaking to SuperSport TV, the Chiefs coach revealed that Maboe’s injury came earlier than the technical team had anticipated, forcing them to make a positional change in midfield.

“We changed position for position for Maboe, unfortunately his injury arrived a bit early in the second half,” he stated.

The coach admitted that Maboe’s departure affected the balance of the Chiefs midfield, with the team having to adjust its shape following the unexpected change.

“After we were a bit imbalanced in midfield.”

Kaizer Chiefs subsequently made further substitutions as they pushed for a winning goal, with the technical team opting to introduce more attacking players in an attempt to break down a stubborn Golden Arrows defence.

The coach explained that the later changes were tactical and were made with the intention of strengthening the team’s attacking threat rather than simply reacting to the injury.

“The other substitutions were to win the game, I changed attacking players to win the game, because we always want to win the game.”

Despite their efforts, Chiefs were unable to find the decisive goal as Golden Arrows held on for a 0-0 draw.

The result means Amakhosi had to settle for a point from the encounter, while Maboe’s injury will now be a concern for the club as they assess his condition ahead of their next PSL fixture.

Maboe’s missed penalty will inevitably remain one of the key talking points from the match, but the explanation from the Chiefs coach makes it clear that his eventual withdrawal was related to injury and not a decision based on his performance.