How Steve Komphela shaped an ex-Chiefs striker’s coaching career

He might have failed to live up to his biling in South Africa but ex-Kaizer Chiefs forward Luke Petros says the lessons he drew from interacting with Steve Komphela at Limpopo based club, Dynamos, shaped his coaching career.

Petros arrived in South Africa as a promising talent at the age of 27, with springs on his step following a sterling display at the COSAFA 1999 tournament where he won the golden boot.

His achievement captured the sights of Kaizer Chiefs who immediately pounced on him, beating Manning Rangers to his signature in 2000.

But as soon as he donned that gold and black jersey, the former Lancashire Steel and trusted Zimbabwe gunslinger deflated and he left a forgetting mark at the Soweto giants after scoring five goals in a two-yearlong stay at the club.

That time Chiefs were under Turkish manager Muhsin Ertuğral who helped them write probably their best success story since the turn of the millennium in what was dubbed ‘Operation Vat Alles’.

After two years Petros was offloaded to join Dynamos, where he met with evergreen Komphela soon after the departure of Jacob Sakala from the head coach position.

He spent a single season at the Limpopo side before returning home to Zimbabwe and what he learnt from Komphela remains a treasure that he cherishes and preserves in his heart.

“I have to admit, Steve [ Komphela] understood me as a player. It didn’t work out the way I wanted back at Kaizer Chiefs but my time with him at Dynamos was worthwhile. He gave me a chance which is all I wanted,” Petros told FARPost.

“I played but I learnt more than what was seen. To be honest my thinking right now as a coach is derived from what he taught me during our time at Dynamos.

“The intensity and pressure centred drills is what I am teaching my players at the moment. It has worked well from me although results have reflected differently but I like the fact that there is a mutual understanding between me and my players.” 

At the moment Petros is head coach at WhaWha, a Prisons and Correctional services side competing in Zimbabwe’s PSL.

WhaWha is not one of the best teams in Zimbabwe but it is their conviction and passion that has won the hearts of many football fans.

They maybe relegated at the end of the current season but Petros is satisfied that he has given young players a platform to display their abilities.

“Komphela gave me a chance and I am also giving these young players of today a chance to be counted among the best. We might have not won many but we have changed lives.

“From here some will join top clubs and that will make me happy as a coach that what we taught each other has been accepted even at a bigger platform,” he added.

Petros recalls how another good relationship with former Malawi and Kaizer Chiefs star Patrick Mabedi helped him survive in South Africa.

“Patrick [Mabedi] was like my brother and he held my hand firmly since I arrived in South Africa, showing me the direction to take as a foreigner player.

“We may have faced challenges during our time but that friendship and partnership helped me shape my behavior as a player,” Petros told FARPost.

How Petros has turned WhaWha from mere minnows to a feared giant slayer is an exciting revelation, with some of his players that include Jayden Barake, Calum English Brown and Munyaradzi Chirwa touted to make big moves at the end of the season.

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