STEVE Komphela wants his Maritzburg United boys to remove emotions from their clash against Bloemfontein Celtic, who are led by their former coach Ernst Middendorp.
United have played two emotionally charged games on the trot with foggy eyes - winning against Komphela's old team Free State Stars but copping a hiding in the KwaZulu-Natal derby against AmaZulu.
The coach wants his team to be robotic and go out to get the job done and forget about the German who left them in the lurch at the beginning of the season.
"We have to push out the emotion attached to the opposition we're facing," said Komphela.
"Sure, against Stars, my former team, there was a deep desire to win, so was the case in the derby against Usuthu.
"Now Middendorp is coming and I have the responsibility to ensure that the players don't play the game with emotions. We need to remain very calm,"
Harry Gwala Stadium has seen some incredible action since Komphela took over in January, and the same high-intensity and high-scoring displays are expected when Phunya SeleSele roll into town tonight. Kick off is at 7.30.
But with Middendorp being the other chess grandmaster, the German could deflate all the noise United have made under their new coach by employing his usual rigid defensive tactics. "If he decides to close the game, we know how to open it," Komphela said.
"We have a solution on how to open his team up and we've opened many of Middendorp's games. When he was at Maritzburg I opened up a lot of his defences during my time at Stars. He knows the key is there."
United's first bad game under Komphela was the last one - a 3-1 loss to Usuthu. They were outplayed in all aspects of the field by a team that was out to prove its top-eight credentials.
They missed defender Mario Booysen, who had a groin injury, as well as Orlando Smeekes in attack, who was suspended for the last match.
Both are set for a return.
Komphela plots Celtic's demise
STEVE Komphela wants his Maritzburg United boys to remove emotions from their clash against Bloemfontein Celtic, who are led by their former coach Ernst Middendorp.
United have played two emotionally charged games on the trot with foggy eyes - winning against Komphela's old team Free State Stars but copping a hiding in the KwaZulu-Natal derby against AmaZulu.
The coach wants his team to be robotic and go out to get the job done and forget about the German who left them in the lurch at the beginning of the season.
"We have to push out the emotion attached to the opposition we're facing," said Komphela.
"Sure, against Stars, my former team, there was a deep desire to win, so was the case in the derby against Usuthu.
"Now Middendorp is coming and I have the responsibility to ensure that the players don't play the game with emotions. We need to remain very calm,"
Harry Gwala Stadium has seen some incredible action since Komphela took over in January, and the same high-intensity and high-scoring displays are expected when Phunya SeleSele roll into town tonight. Kick off is at 7.30.
But with Middendorp being the other chess grandmaster, the German could deflate all the noise United have made under their new coach by employing his usual rigid defensive tactics. "If he decides to close the game, we know how to open it," Komphela said.
"We have a solution on how to open his team up and we've opened many of Middendorp's games. When he was at Maritzburg I opened up a lot of his defences during my time at Stars. He knows the key is there."
United's first bad game under Komphela was the last one - a 3-1 loss to Usuthu. They were outplayed in all aspects of the field by a team that was out to prove its top-eight credentials.
They missed defender Mario Booysen, who had a groin injury, as well as Orlando Smeekes in attack, who was suspended for the last match.
Both are set for a return.
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