Kasi Flava

Shaquille Abrahams of Cape Town City challenges Ntsako Makhubela of Golden Arrows during an Absa Premiership 2019/20 football match at the Cape Town Stadium on 22 September 2019 PHOTO: BackpagePix

Don’t call Kasi Flava showboating – Steve Komphela

Former Bafana Bafana coach Steve Komphela says Kasi Flava is an essential ingredient in South African football.

Kasi Flava

Shaquille Abrahams of Cape Town City challenges Ntsako Makhubela of Golden Arrows during an Absa Premiership 2019/20 football match at the Cape Town Stadium on 22 September 2019 PHOTO: BackpagePix

Golden Arrows coach Steve Komphela says that South African fans should stop accusing skilful players of showboating when they display Kasi Flava in local matches.

Komphela feels that Kasi Flava is part of the fabric of the South African game.

Komphela defends Kasi Flava

As coach of Arrows, Komphela has a fine exponent of Kasi Flava in his squad in the shape of winger Ntsako Makhubela. Makhubela cops a bit of stick for his use of tricks but Komphela feels that if a European or South American player did the same thing they would be heralded as a brilliant technician.

Komphela says that Kasi Flava is born out of township street football where the focus is on dribbling and keeping the ball.

“I don’t want to indulge the debate to an extent where it loses its sense of reality, but the fact remains South African players play like that,” Komphela told Kick Off.

“It’s different from other cultures and races or countries, where they would never play without a goalpost, where they say they aim for a target. With us, we dribble each other.

“Now the minute from any level without any guidance, the natural instinct says dribble. How do you start going forward then goes to Neymar, then goes to Ronaldinho, then goes to any other top player either from Brazil, wherever, or [Kylian] Mpappe.”

Komphela feels that South African football fans don’t think highly of the local game and as a result look past the quality in their backyard.

“When they do it at the highest level we say ‘wow, what a player’ even though the ball just came and Ronaldinho controlled it with a twisted leg, and we say ‘goodness me, what a skill’.

“When we do it here in South Africa we say ‘showboating’. Neymar goes one-on-one, flips the ball over the top like Joel Soroba. Joel Seroba used to call it ‘Fanta’, now when he says Fanta in South Africa, abroad they say ‘what a skilful player’.

“Now sometimes we tend to look down upon ourselves, not appreciating the unique qualities we have and shoot them down by coining them and giving them definitions that are more derogatory.”

Komphela says he encourages his skilful players to deploy Kasi Flava as long as it proves productive.

“If it’s effective and productive, you have to show some brilliance. If they have a brilliance, don’t starve them,” he added.

“I allow them to play as long as it is within the framework and the guidelines of how the team performs.”