The old cliché always stressed on the point that the penalty shoot out was a gamble and that there had to be a winner, unfortunately for Chiefs that winner on Sunday was Mamelodi Sundowns. Thuso Phala was the unfortunate player who had his penalty kick saved in the shoot out, and although disappointed he does feel that thanks to the help of his teammates he has overcome the disappointment. Thuso will learn from the experience and is determined to emerge from this episode a stronger person. Phala has been finding his feet of late and he is adamant not to let the missed spot kick keep him back from continuing his upward momentum in form.

Ever again

Even though he was the only player of ten not to score on from 12 yards out on Sunday Phala says that if he has to step up and take a spot kick in the future, he will do so if his coach and team ask him to do. As he explained “we have seen guys miss important spot kicks in the past and while you are immediately disappointed by what has happened, the only way you can best deal with the disappointment is by stepping up again to a shoot out and get it right the next time. In that way you will be able to exorcise the demons that will have plagued you, so if need be I will not in future shy away because of what happened on Sunday but use this experience to improve at spot kicks”.

Standing tall

While he will take spot kicks in the future in the immediate after math of missing the kick on Sunday Phala said that he found it difficult to face his teammates and his coach, as well as the media and fans. The support of his teammates got him through a testing time as he says “when we lost the shoot out - I just wanted to sink into the ground and I was trying to avoid going to the dressing room, as I felt as though I let the team down. The guys though reacted differently and they helped me keep my head up, Siphiwe Tshabalala told me that I have worked for so many months on breaking into the first team that the quicker I move on the better it will be for me. I have now put all my energy on winning the upcoming Soweto derby against Swallows”.