When asked if his side could strike fear in opposition’s defences once settled, Moroka Swallows coach Steve Komphela played down expectations, only saying with the football he wants to play, people should not miss the Dube Birds’ games.
One of the club’s marquee signings Tshegofatso Mabasa, who is on loan from Orlando Pirates scored as Swallows came from the jaws of a loss to Komphela’s former club Golden Arrows at Mpumalanga Stadium in the opening league match between the two sides on Saturday.
Komphela, who quit Sundowns a few months ago to take the Swallows’ post, saw the Dube Birds be on the everyone’s lips when it comes to player signings such as Andile Jali, Lantshane Phalane, Keenan Philips, Dumisani Zuma, Tshanini Falakhe, Victor Bakah, Daweron Van Rhyn, Bongani Sam and Gabadinho Mhango, while they released 15 in total.
“I must be very careful because I know you,” Komphela laughed when he replied to iDiski Times.
“You want me to be on billboards and something that will be hanging on the posts, and say ‘Steve Komphela says they are coming’. I’m not going to get to that. You will never find me there.
“But I think with the acquisitions that we have made, with the training that we envisage, the personalities that we have, we should have a decent performance but beyond performance we want results.
“People who paid R40 to come to our matches, must tell friends that ‘listen, I must get R40 somewhere, I must go and watch the next match. Football matches, I must be present’.
“So we are trying to create a culture when we watch Moroka Swallows play, we should go home and say ‘no, I was at the show, I enjoyed the show’.”
Meanwhile, Van Rhyn, who Swallows signed from Upington City in the Motsepe Foundation Championship, was a busy player when he replaced Jali in the 77th minute and it is when Swallows were finding holes behind as Jali appeared to be tired after he has not played competitive football since February.
Van Rhyn left a lasting impression on Komphela and was compared to former Pirates star midfielder Brandon Silent based on how he plays.
“If you call him Sgqebhezana [Silent]… here is our person [club media official], he calls Mabasa aMbawula, and Sgqebhezana so be it,” Komphela said.
“I love the touch he had and this kid was only playing for the first time at a professional level. Now confidence do you have when you are saying ‘I’m playing with my chest out’?
“Now we are saying to him, ‘bring it on. What do you want to be known for?’ If he has the resemblance to the Brandon Silent, then he has to live to that standard or that expectation but it is a good challenge.”
Swallows host Cape Town City at Dr Molemela Stadium on Wednesday (15:00).
