Khune comfortable with new Chiefs coach Solinas

16 July 2018 - 08:57
By Gomolemo Motshwane in Orkney
New Amakhosi coach Giovanni Solinas with Bobby Motaung and players after winning the Maize Cup at the weekend.
Image: Lefty Shivambu New Amakhosi coach Giovanni Solinas with Bobby Motaung and players after winning the Maize Cup at the weekend.

Itumeleng Khune has expressed optimism that the players will adjust well to the tactics of new Kaizer Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas  after admitting to having found it difficult to understand the methods of previous boss Steve Komphela.

"He [Solinas] told us his philosophy and how he wants us to play on and off the ball," Khune said.

"We struggled a bit under coach Steve because a lot of us couldn't adjust to what he wanted from us as players."

After three barren seasons, there is renewed hope at Amakhosi after the appointment of Solinas last Friday.

After a three-month wait, management finally hired the Italian, who has only two weeks to prepare the team before the new season starts.

Solinas got to see his players in action for the first time at the weekend when they clinched the Bokone Bophirima Maize Cup at James Motlatsi Stadium.

All eyes were on Chiefs' new 50-year-old tactician, who watched from the stands.

Khune said Chiefs must find success under the new mentor if the current crop of players is to avoid going down in history as the worst bunch of players the club has had.

"We have to go back to winning trophies, that is our culture," he said.

"We as players told ourselves that we do not want to be remembered as the generation that broke the record of not winning trophies."

Marquee signing Khama Billiat has made Khune even more hopeful that the trophy drought will soon be over.

"He [Billiat] is a great player who finds the spaces and capitalises. He used to give us a tough time when we played Sundowns and hopefully he will bring that to the club," Khune said.