What USM Alger Player Told Komphela

Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Steve Komphela during the CAF Super Cup clash against USM Alger. Image: Alche Greeff/Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach Steve Komphela has revealed the words of encouragement he received from a USM Alger player after their defeat to the Algerian side in the CAF Super Cup on Sunday.

Sundowns, as reigning CAF Champions League winners, were hammered 3-1 at Loftus Stadium by Confederation Cup champions USMA, a second disappointment for the club in a CAF competition this season.

The defeat came just a few weeks after their shocking Champions League exit before the group stages, but Komphela revealed that he was given words of encouragement.

Check Out: How Cardoso, Mothiba & Documentaries Helped Mvala

USM Alger player’s words strike a chord

“It’s funny because as soon as the match came to an end, one of the players from USMA came through and said something very strange. He said you guys are a big team, you will recover. For me, that was profound. Sometimes in life, we need reminders about who we are and this is the one,” Komphela told media after the defeat.

“Nobody has a given birth right”

The former Bafana Bafana international said at Sundowns they would wish to win every trophy, however he said nobody has a given birth right to win.

“We wanted to win it, unfortunately it couldn’t fall our way. You don’t want to start throwing forward and get paralysed by the fact that you start looking at things that are coming,” Komphela shared.

“But where we at, we are hurting and also for our supporters. And the fact that you are the Champions League winners, when you play folks who are also winners, but in the Confederation (Cup), logic or common sense or expectation would be Champions League winners should win, and sometimes football is not like that. We regret the result, we wanted it different. Unfortunately, it did not come our way.”

“Breakfast for champions”

It’s in situations like these where top clubs dust themselves off and regroup. With the international break official on from Monday, the club can use the time to reflect and map the way forward.

“This is how your character gets built. And I don’t think we are the first ones to go through this and we are not going to be the last ones. Sundowns has been in situations where we needed to dust ourselves and show character. We have a great dressing room with highly experienced players, and a technical team that’s strong enough and that has a way to focus on what has to be looked at. As they always say, this is breakfast for champions.”

Check Out: Mosimane On Ndlovu: ‘Do You Know Why?’

Related tags