Komphela: Legacy is about more than trophies!

by Graeme Jackson

Thursday Jun 04, 2020. 16:00

Former Kaizer Chiefs manager Steve Komphela has expressed his belief that winning silverware should not be the only measure of success in the coaching profession.

Komphela managed Chiefs from 2015 to 2018 and was unable to bring a trophy to the club in just under three seasons in charge at Naturena, despite reaching two finals early in his tenure.

The 52-year-old, currently at the helm of Golden Arrows, says he would like to have a chance to manage one of South Africa’s big clubs again, but emphasises that cup triumphs can represent a false dawn.

“Yes, but again, there must be a process. Legacies are not just about winning two or three trophies,” Komphela told Soccer Laduma.

“When I got to Chiefs, if we had won the MTN8, you know how many matches we would have played? Four matches and you win a trophy.

“Apart from the trophy, would there have been anything I had done at Chiefs in that time? Nothing. But do you know that it would be regarded as an achievement?

“In that season, had we won the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout, you know I would have been a hero? A hero out of only eight matches and two trophies?

“That’s how short-sighted we get sometimes. And then, God forbid, I die in that season, they would say the legacy of Komphela is that he won two trophies. Sir, that’s not legacy!

“[Mauricio] Pochettino, for me, left a legacy [at Tottenham Hotspur]. Look at what he also did at Southampton. Do you want to tell me he is a bad coach?

“Arsene Wenger left a legacy [at Arsenal]. Look at Jurgen Klopp. How long had it taken him to win a trophy, to where he is today? Now he is just something else.

“So, I don’t get disturbed by people who lack rationale and understanding of processes,” he concluded.