Komphela's emotional journey from farm boy to football royalty
by Sipho Mlotha · KickOffMamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Steve Komphela is grateful to football for making him the man he is today — a journey that has taken him from the humblest of beginnings to the summit of African football.
Komphela, who holds a teaching qualification, has built a highly respected football legacy in South Africa, transitioning from being a captain and a star defender during his playing days to being an elite championship-winning coach.
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He earned 24 caps for Bafana Bafana between 1992 and 1995, having turned out for the likes of Qwa-Qwa Stars and Kaizer Chiefs, while also earning a move to the Turkish Super Lig, where he played for Gaziantepspor and Çanakkale Dardanelspor.
A trophy-laden coaching career
In 2015, he guided Kaizer Chiefs to the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout finals, before going on to win the CAF Champions League, four league titles, the Nedbank Cup, the MTN8 and the Carling Knockout trophies as part of the technical team at Sundowns — where his bread is currently buttered.
The eloquent tactician has also served as national U-20 and U-23 teams' head coach, and in 2012 stepped in as a caretaker coach for Bafana Bafana.
"I was born on a farm"
Speaking with characteristic eloquence, Komphela opened up about his roots, revealing the poverty and hardship that shaped his early years — and the debt of gratitude he owes to football and education.
"I don't think I would be doing justice if I were not to declare this. For every African child, they need to know this. I was born on a farm, from a family of Mom and Dad who never went to school. And Mom could not even do their own signature, they would do an X," Komphela shared.
"I happened to be lucky to go to school. I am that child who also was part of the farm labourer, I would wake up at 03:30, 04:00 to go milk cows. In winter, I would literally sink my feet on the dung of the cow to get warm, whilst you walk on that icy grass."
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"Football has given me so much"
The Sundowns assistant coach reflected on how far he has come, crediting the beautiful game and education for transforming his life beyond measure.
"Now that I'm here, I am grateful, not only to my current employers who are great with me, but to football as well — the game has given me so much. Had it not been for football, had it not been for education, that would have gone for nothing. I would still be a 60-year-old who is on a farm with no direction, not knowing where to go, with a very low self-esteem. I'm a better man now thanks to football," Komphela concluded.