Sunday | July 2, 2023

Well-traveled former South Africa junior and senior men’s national team coach Steve Komphela has been recruited by Swallows Football Club, the club statement revealed on Sunday, June 2.

Until today, Komphela was assistant coach to Rhulani Mokwena at the embellished Mamelodi Sundowns FC where he won three league titles and traversed the continent.

Komphela was part of the triumvirate (together with Manqobq Mngqithi and Mokwena) coaching group assembled to bring more success to the club. 

So far, Sundowns sent out a club statement extending their best wishes in his new coaching adventure. In it, Tlhopie Motsepe, the club chairman conveyed that:

“Steve Komphela served Mamelodi Sundowns with loyalty and devotion and will always be a member of the Mamelodi Sundowns Family“.

Swallows, affectionately known as “The Birds”, managed to clip and fly Komphela out of the shilling jewels of African club football.

Of course, Sundowns lured him out of Golden Arrows in 2020 and made him a senior coach. He was hastily dropped in when the then head coach Pitso Mosimane dropped a bombshell and left the perennial reigning champions of the Premier Soccer League. It was merely last season that he was promoted to assistant coach level.

Retro-playbook

Among other clubs Komphela oversaw in his coaching career in Bloemfontein Celtics (sold status to the current Royal AM), Kaizer Chiefs, SA U-23 and the senior national team colours. Moreover, in the late 1980s right through towards the end of the 1990s, he played for Free State Stars, Chiefs, Gaziantepspor and Canakkale Darnanelspor in Turkiye.

Former SA captain himself, he will be fully in charge of Swallows as a head coach. The club further announced that Musa Nyatama who saved them from relegation will be one of his co-assistant coaches alongside Ditheko Mototo.

Steve Komphela, 56, will be officially introduced to the public and the Swallows faithful fans on Tuesday, June 4, the club stated.