“It has been important to give the players a little bit of a rest and a chance to switch off,” said the Kaizer Chiefs coach after his side battled in extreme heat last Sunday to eliminate hosts Platinum Stars from the first round of the Telkom Knockout.
“It’s a good opportunity to look at everybody,” he added of Sunday’s match against Bloemfontein Celtic at Free State Stadium.
Since taking over as Chiefs coach at the start of the season, Komphela has used 23 players in League and cup matches.
He will have to do without the injured quartet of Daniel Cardoso, Morgan Gould, Simphiwe Mtsweni and David Zulu – all still working their way back to fitness – and the club also saw Itumeleng Khune, Mulomowandau Mathoho and George Lebese head off with Bafana Bafana for their two-match tour of Central America.
Khune has been bothered by a strain behind his knee and ceded his place to Reyaad Pieterse for the League matches against the University of Pretoria and Ajax Cape Town, and then Sunday’s cup tie.
However, Khune still traveled with the national team and put in a good display against Costa Rica this morning, proving he is now back to full fitness.