Khumalo questions Chiefs leadership after penalty shootout defeat

Kaizer Chiefs legend Doctor Khumalo has questioned the leadership within the Amakhosi squad after Reeve Frosler missed a penalty in their CAF Confederation Cup defeat by Red Arrows.

Kaizer Chiefs had forced the second-round tie level during 90 minutes when Bradley Cross scored the only goal of the match. However, Red Arrows progressed after the contest was decided by a penalty shootout.

Lebohang Maboe, Frosler and Ethan Chislett all failed to convert their spot-kicks for Amakhosi, with Chislett missing the final penalty that could have kept Kaizer Chiefs in the competition.

Khumalo said Frosler’s demeanour before taking his penalty raised questions over whether he should have been selected among the takers.

“I said his body language was not a positive one, it was a little sluggish,” he said on SABC2.

“The question is, do we have leadership within the players, because there are certain players that can probably command to say ‘no, sorry coach, I don’t think so and so should take it’.”

Khumalo used an experience from his own playing career to explain the importance of players being willing to challenge such decisions.

“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’.”

He said that kind of intervention could be particularly important when young players are given responsibility in decisive moments.

“That kind of interaction among the players themselves… Look at the responsibility that is given to the youngsters, yes they didn’t disappoint but like I said I’m not a fan of criticising the players missing the penalties.”

Khumalo also stressed that penalty shootouts could have produced a different outcome and said the players should not be singled out for the defeat.

“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.”

The former Chiefs midfielder said the team now needed to recover from the disappointment, while recognising that players approach penalties in different ways.

“Again, it’s just to regroup, because taking of penalties, we differ how we take penalties. But pass the net.”