Mamelodi Sundowns senior coach Steve Komphela says “everything is perfect” at the club following the recent coaching and playing changes.
The Brazilians are in their third coach in less than a year. They sacked Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi in July and December.
Enter Miguel Cardoso. The Portuguese took over the reins, guiding the team to the CAF Champions League last eight, Nedbank Cup last 16 and top of the table in the Premiership. Cardoso, though, has adopted a lot of naysayers along the way as they are criticising his game management and the ill-discipline within the team.
Sundowns drew 1-1 with AS FAR in the Champions League group stage, and won 5-2 against Sibanye Golden Stars in the Nedbank Cup last 16 after failing to kill off the game in the second halves.
Sundowns have received six red cards already this season, suggesting that there’s a discipline issue creeping in from the players, something that wasn’t there in the past. Cardoso vehemently denied any poor behaviour from the players, saying he had a healthy dressing room as the players are adapting to his philosophy.
Speaking at the #NOEXCUSE event, organised by Carling, at the Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg on Wednesday, Komphela said everything was running smoothly at the club, and going according to plan.
“Everything is okay, everything is perfect!” Komphela said. “We are doing everything that we can and working hard.
“Everyone knows what needs to happen at Sundowns. At Sundowns, you are expected to win, but in a particular way. That’s a fact. There’s nothing different now.
“There’s always a lot of hard work. There is a lot of focus on aspects that need to be rectified and improved.”
Komphela was adamant about everything going according to plan, so much so that he said they’d open an invite to the media to join them for one of their training sessions. The Brazilians are next in action in the Premiership on Sunday, when they take on Golden Arrows at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville (5.45pm kick-off).
“I wish one day you’ll come when we have a session and break this down – away from the noise of #NOEXCUSE where we are taking their platform. But everything is okay,” he said.
While Sundowns have been sluggish in the second half, they’ve had an impressive start to life under Cardoso, winning seven games, drawing one and losing one in nine. Their ability to grind out results has some members of the football fraternity believing that will come in handy when they play on the continent, where victories are vital.
“The profiles of matches differ, and the conditions in all these countries differ,” Komphela explained.
“If you go to the DRC, it’s different than when you are in Johannesburg or Pretoria, in South Africa. Then you also have the surface, the pitch.
“You might not have the best conditions to play your best football. But you still have the obligation and responsibility to win the match.”