Steve Komphela admits he is under pressure to perform following his return to Mamelodi Sundowns ahead of the new season.
Komphela is back for a second spell at Sundowns after leaving to coach Golden Arrows last term.
He has been brought back to the team as a senior coach after Rulani Mokwena’s departure to work with Manqoba Mngqithi.
Downs claimed a seventh successive DStv Premiership title last term but will be gunning to add a Champions League winners medal to their trophy cabinet come the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Komphela said in the Citizen: “I’ve been here before and lost one match and you could feel that we could play and not get the result we wanted but that’s beautiful pressure. Instead of calling it pressure, call in the pleasure of the demand of always being on top.
“It is not only Sundowns supporters and I must confess that the board at this club is unbelievably uncompromising when it comes to delivery and we have to deliver. But again, that is the beauty that the bar has to be so high that whoever has to reach it has to really stretch and understand that it’s not easy to reach and touch that bar.”
Komphela added that it won’t all be smooth sailing for Downs as they get used to the coaching changes.
“At the beginning, there’s going to be a bit of a storm which is normal because I’m now taking a seat that was occupied by you and you feel uncomfortable,” he explained.
“The discomfort is normal and that is the storming phase and the quicker you hit the norming phase, the quicker you will get to the performing phase and the quicker you get to the performing phase, then you will excel.”