DURBAN – New Golden Arrows boss Steve Komphela got off to a flying start in his tenure with Abafana Bes’thende by defeating Maritzburg United 2-0 in the KwaZulu-Natal derby this past weekend.
His next assignment is now against his former side, Bloemfontein Celtic, at Dr Molemela Stadium on Sunday at 3.30pm.
Asked if it is going to be an emotional affair, Komphela replied: “It will be there (emotions), but we’ve got to be professional. This is where we grow in terms of emotional maturity and intelligence.
“Where you score a goal, a beautiful goal and you still stay calm. You suffer a setback, you still stay calm because you are the energy. Coaches must get a high level of maturity. Even when you feel excited or that they are swearing at you, stand firm.
“When it is nice stand firm. When it is bad, stand firm. You are going to play in your previous environment, stand firm. I’m a professional and I’ve got to do my job.
“You have to focus at the job at hand. After that, the human being comes out.”
Komphela spent six months with Celtic, and is cognisant of their strengths and weaknesses.
“In terms of profiling (yes, it will be easy), but when you approach any match, you profile and after that, you prepare but you still need to participate.
“So your profiling can be 100 percent correct, your thinking and planning can be top-class, but your execution is out of your hands,” he added.
Arrows will be looking to make it back-to-back wins when they travel to Bloemfontein.
“Your planning and preparing must be accompanied by participation. If all those getting along well, then you will come through. But that I know them, yes and how they play, we saw them against Chippa United and we are aware. Is there a possibility of a change? It could be.
“If they change, we will adapt. If they don’t change, do we know what is happening? I know them very well because I was the part of the system,” Komphela elaborated.
Upcoming game
Phunya Sele Sele vs Abafana bes’thende
🗓Sunday 13 Jan 2019
🏟Dr Molemela stadium
⏰15:30
📺 live on SABC 1 & SS4 #BuildingTheBrand #Absaprem #DurbanHasMore pic.twitter.com/YmQV8AGNuM
— Golden Arrows FC (@goldenarrowsfc1) January 8, 2019
Arrows played with precision as they shot down United, but the ex-Kaizer Chiefs boss knows there’s still a long way to go.
“The most important thing was to start on a positive note. He (Muhsin Ertugral) has been in the job for three to four days, and I’ve also been in the job for three to five days.
“Sometimes it becomes difficult to have your influence, at some stage, even if you had your influence, when you want to make your tactical switches and all that, they are not inside your hands. It takes them longer to adapt to what you want.”
@Minenhlecr7