Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela and Pitso Mosimane of Mamelodi Sundowns during the Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns press conference at Medshield Offices. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
Komphela vacated his position at the back of a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Fee State Stars in the Nedbank Cup semifinal on Saturday night.
The beautiful game was eclipsed by a subsequent pitch invasion as angry Amakhosi fans stormed the pitch at Moses Mabhida Stadium, damaging property and leaving a few injured.
“I am sad,” said the Mamelodi Sundowns coach.
“He (Komphela) is a big character, he is a big man. I am sad to lose one of our won, it is not nice,” Mosimane added.
Komphela and Ea Lla Koto coach Luc Eymael did not have a warm reception as the Belgian has been earmarked to be on Chiefs’ radar.
“I understand how he (Komphela) reacted to Luc Eymael. It probably could have been worse. It is okay, it is part of the game. Somewhere somehow the ethics are not there.”
Komphela, a former Bafana Bafana caretaker coach, has been in the industry for close to two decades and has never won any official tournament.
He spent close to three barren seasons at Naturena. In that, Mosimane says the writing was on the wall for the 50-year-old.
“Steve is a big guy, he knew that if he did not win the Nedbank Cup he was going to leave. Even if he had won it, he probably would have gone.”
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