‘My eyes were always here’: Steve Komphela on Mamelodi Sundowns return

Published on by

Mamelodi Sundowns senior coach Steve Komphela has opened up on his sudden return to the club, following his departure from the head coach position at Golden Arrows.

Komphela's return to Chloorkop followed shortly after Mamelodi Sundowns' separation with head coach Rulani Mokwena.

Veteran coach Steve Komphela, 57, has returned to Masandawa for a second stint. He previously served at the club as First Team Coach from 2020 to 2023.

Komphela departed Masandawa at the start of last season to take the head coach position at Moroka Swallows. However, his tenure with the Dube Birds was short-lived, as he left mid-season before reuniting with his former club, Golden Arrows.

Komphela revealed that despite having been with other clubs, he always harboured a desire to return to Sundowns.

STEVE KOMPHELA MAKES ADMISSION ABOUT SUNDOWNS

“It’s a privilege to be back. Even when I was out there, my eyes were always here,” he told Mamelodi Sundowns Pitchside Podcast.

“Because they work that’s done at Sundowns is so appealing. Whether you are outside or inside, you are bound to look at.

“I’m looking forward to the season with the changes. It is obviously going to be a moment of new development.

“Then it goes back to what I once said and somebody was laughing at me when I said it, in any team development, sugar, there is five stages Bruce Tuckman once spoke about.

“He said, ‘when you form a new or develop a new brand, it is the forming phase, then you have the storming phase, then the norming phase, then performing phase and then excellence‘.

“So now at the beginning, there is going to be a storm, which is normal.”

Komphela is assisting Manqoba Mngqithi who looks set to take over as a head coach following Mokwena’s departure.

The club is currently in Austria for a pre-season tour where they are preparing for the upcoming season.

Avatar photo

Nkosiyabuya Sithole

Nkosiyabuya Sithole, a young and rising sports journalist based in Durban, South Africa, harbors a deep passion for football. Nevertheless, he aspires to become a well-rounded journalist, adept in various areas of the field.

Nkosi's career began in 2020, working as a home-based writer during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has since written for various websites, including Briefly News, FiND-iT News, and The South African. Attending live sporting events is a particular pleasure for him, as they provide opportunities for interaction with sports personalities.

Outside of the office, he's a God-fearing and affable young man.