Golden Arrows coach Steve Komphela will face his former team Mamelodi Sundowns for the first time as Golden Arrows head coach when they clash at Mpumalanga Stadium this evening with the match set to kick off at 19:30.
Komphela joined Mamelodi Sundowns in 2020 following Pitso Mosimane’s departure and after three years he parted ways with the Brazilians at the beginning of the 2023/2024 season to take over as head coach of Moroka Swallows where he stayed for seven months before his departure following administrative issues at the end of 2023.
He was then announced as the head coach for the Durban-based team after they restructured their technical team following 10 consecutive losses with coach Mabhuti Khenyeza at the helm.
The 56-year-old former Kaizer Chiefs coach hit the ground running with Abafana Bes’thende registering back-to-back victories which included a hard-fought 1-0 win against Polokwane City followed by a 2-1 win against fellow KZN rivals Richards Bay FC but struggled to keep the team on the winning lane.
Arrows has played seven matches under Komphela, they have won two, played three draws and suffered two heavy defeats which includes a 7-1 humiliation at the hands of Orlando Pirates as well as a recent 3-0 loss against the high-flying Stellenbosch.
They are yet to register a win in their past five games, and they have a mountain of a task ahead of them of handing the Pretoria side their first league defeat. Komphela is familiar with the opposition’s set of players and tactical approaches having spent over three years with Masandawana, working with coaches Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi.
This is a must-win match for the home side in a chase to finish in the top-8 and qualify for the MTN 8 competition. They are currently eleventh on the log having accumulated 32 points from 26 games after winning 9 matches, suffering 12 defeats and the other 5 matches ending in stalemates.
Sundowns on the other hand have already been confirmed as the 2023/2024 DStv Premiership champions and are on the verge of making history by finishing the season without a single loss.
They have collected 62 points in 24 matches and are also in good standing of adding a third trophy to their cabinet as they are set to meet Orlando Pirates in the final of the Nedbank Cup on 1 June at Mbombela Stadium.
Written Siphesihle Soni