Change! That's a word not everybody is comfortable with and, going into the new season, it's certainly one that will be used quite a lot at Mamelodi Sundowns, who are slowly shaking things up in their technical department as a new revolution of fresh-faced coaches take the defending champions into a new era of techno-savvy coaching. Long before there was tika-taka football, there was Shoeshine and Piano, as introduced during the heady days under Screamer Tshabalala. And once again, over the last few years, the Brazilians have led the way in how they do things, and are about to take things to a whole new level to make sure that coach Rulani Mokwena and his backroom staff are always one step ahead of the competition. Talk about trendsetters. However, this change of direction will come with a lot of pressure, especially with the club's demanding and 'spoilt' supporters, whose wait for a second CAF Champions League star has been a bit too long for their liking. The Siya crew follows Downs' winds of change…
What The Siya Crew Has Been Told…
With Steve Komphela leaving Mamelodi Sundowns to join Moroka Swallows, a revolution has begun at Chloorkop which will see changes to a new generation technical team. A part of the contract negotiations for Rulani Mokwena's new contract included him having his own technical team and there could be more changes in the future as the club look to a solid backroom staff for their head coach to conquer both the domestic and continental front. The young tactician is understood to have the backing of Sporting Director Flemming Berg, as well as the board, to build a solid unit in his technical team and he will have a big say on who comes in and goes out, which is not always the case at other clubs in the DStv Premiership. The Siya crew understands that there is no bad blood between Mokwena and Komphela, but the latter no longer had room as an assistant coach at the club, which led to his departure. Komphela's three-year contract with the Brazilians expired at the end of June, but this publication understands that the club had an option to extend the deal for another season, but it became apparent that his time at the Tshwane giants had come to an end with head coach Mokwena having other plans for who his right-hand man should be. In an interview with Soccer Laduma recently, Swallows chairman David Mogashoa confirmed that they were planning on going into the new season with Musa Nyatama as head coach, but things changed when he got to find out that Komphela was possibly available.
The Dobsonville-based outfit could not pass on the opportunity to have the former national U23 coach on board, as he did not quite form part of the plans for the technical team at Downs, which is why they acted quickly to secure his signature. While it has not been confirmed by the Chloorkop-based side as yet, the understanding is that Michael Loftman will serve as the new assistant coach, a role that was termed 'first team coach' while Komphela was there. Loftman is set to take on the role as Mokwena's right-hand man, having initially come in as a set-piece coach. Loftman is likely to stay in the role as set-piece coach, but also to work closely as Mokwena's assistant. Shawn Bishop, meanwhile, recently left his post as Head of Academy at the club and an appointment will be made to replace him. The club is believed to be currently in talks with former All Stars coach Sinethemba Badela, to work as head coach of the Brazilians' DStv Diski Challenge side. Surprise Moriri has been working as coach of the DDC side, but changes are expected to be made as Sundowns aim to take things to a new level.
The Siya crew understands that Mokwena wants to continue to have proper synergy between the youth structures and the senior side, to ensure that the players who are promoted into the first team do not struggle to adapt to the style and pressure of being in the professional ranks. It's understood that the former Orlando Pirates assistant coach's presence as Sundowns head coach will open the doors to new faces of coaching in South African football, with the 36-year-old mentor looking to give opportunities just as he was given one years ago when he came into the game as a young man looking to make a mark in football. The game has not always been open to new faces, especially local ones, but it's understood that part of the idea while Mokwena is at Downs is to give talented coaches an opportunity to show what they can do on the big stage, as is the case with Loftman and Badela. Manqoba Mngqithi, who has been linked with jobs at Kaizer Chiefs, AmaZulu FC and Richards Bay FC over the last few weeks, is expected to see out his contract at the club. However, indications are that he is not likely to stay beyond the expiration of his deal, what with the revolution seemingly taking place at Chloorkop.
What Are The Facts?
Throughout the contract negotiations with Mokwena, Sundowns were confident that the coach would stay, despite interest from North Africa. The coach himself was sure that things would go according to plan, as he confirmed to media that he would definitely be at Chloorkop in the coming season, before his contract extension as announced by the Tshwane giants. One of the key areas was having power to make decisions on his technical team and there was an agreement. The four-year agreement is an indication of the club's trust in what the coach has to offer and gives him the time to work on the project of taking Sundowns to even greater heights in terms of coaching, facilities and experiences, as seen now with the club's preseason camp in Europe. While Mokwena has stressed that winning the CAF Champions League is not an obsession, a big part of the project over the next four years will be make the Brazilians a dominant force on the continent and to push to get a second star on top of their badge. He has been fully backed by the club and the presence of Sporting Director Flemming Berg will be important, as they will be working closely together to ensure Sundowns are always a step ahead of the rest in the PSL.
The Story Behind The Scenes
Will Komphela's Absence Be Felt?
Soccer Laduma has been given insight into how important Komphela was for the dressing room at the club and how he played a role in the management of players. This was evident in how he grew close to midfielder Andile Jali, who has now joined him at Swallows. Often described as a player who is not always easy to manage, Komphela appears to know what buttons to press with the Matatiele-born midfielder, which has led to a solid working relationship between the two. It does not take rocket science to notice the respect Jali has for the eloquent coach.
"Steve was quite influential in the dressing room. He is someone who had a lot of respect from the players, and he will definitely be missed. His departure is a big one," a source told the Siya crew.
Sundowns Believe In African Success With Rulani
After reaching the semi-finals of the CAF Champions League in the past season, indications are that the Sundowns board are confident that Mokwena has what it takes to compete with the top dogs of African football and go all the way in the competition, which is why they are backing him in the transfer market with the players he has requested, as well as the trip to Europe for pre-season, which will see the team playing against Sparta Rotterdam and NAC Breda from the Netherlands. The Tshwane giants are willing to spend to make their dream of winning the Champions League a reality and they are confident Mokwena is the man to get the job. They are investing in the coach and are fully aware of the fact that Mokwena has attracted interest from North African clubs, and they are determined to have him on their books for a while, with the hope that they will continue to dominate domestic football.
European-Style System At Sundowns
It's not often you see South African clubs having technical teams as big as the one Sundowns has. As it stands, the Chloorkop-based side has up to 20 members in the technical team, with the club adopting a system similar to that used by a lot of the European clubs, to ensure the head coach has a proper backroomstaff to achieve the goals set out.
Watch This Space
With Loftman already at the club, and Badela expected to join in the near future, although a loan stint at University of Pretoria has been bandied about regarding the latter Mokwena has shown a lot of bravery by throwing the duo into the deep end as they are fairly young as coaches by PSL terms and have to prove themselves, especially at a club where the demands are always high. With Steve Komphela now gone, and Manqoba Mngqithi almost having been snatched by one of Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu FC, there will be pressure to deliver and to make sure that the decisions made by the club, concerning the technical team, do not backfire. The Tshwane giants are constantly working behind the scenes and the Siya crew understands that there will be more additions to the technical team, to ensure Mokwena has adequate support to achieve the goals set out by the ambitious outfit.
