Inside Steve Komphela’s pre-game message that ignited Golden Arrows

Newly appointed Golden Arrows coach Steve Komphela has revealed the motivational message that turned his team around. Komphela took charge of his first match since his return to the club during the 1-0 win against Polokwane City on Sunday.

It was Arrows’ first win in the DStv Premiership after 10 straight losses. Their slump in form resulted in coaching changes with Komphela taking over from Mabhuti Khenyeza. The solitary goal that ended that streak came in the 85th minute through Nduduzo Sibiya.

WHAT STEVE KOMPHELA TOLD THE PLAYERS BEFORE HIS FIRST MATCH 

“Don’t focus on the negative. We didn’t even look at what had been happening,” said Komphela.

“In fact, the clip we played for them before we left the meeting room was about pain and growth. We were saying, what is the cost of a cup of coffee? The cost of a Cup of coffee is about R30, which is the price you pay for a Cup of coffee. But what do you pay for growth? Pain is the cost of growth,” he explained. 

“So the pain they have gone through. No team in the Premier League has grown like this team because of the pain they went through. So sometimes we tend to not want to pay the price and as a result, we can’t get the commodity. But the commodity is the success, the cost for success is pain.

“So you could as well go through that pain so that you get your success and that was the theme of our discussion and then they embraced the theme. Embraced the pain and said you know what we have grown and we are better people than who we are,” he added. 

HOW GOLDEN ARROWS PLAYERS HAVE ENDURED THE PAIN THROUGH THEIR DIFFICULT PERIOD 

“We learn more from defeat than a victory, if we had lost this match here we would be leaving here having seen a lot of things that we are supposed to correct. But now it’s going to come down and look like everything is okay. The credit must be given to Mabhuti Khenyeza and Musa Bilankulu, they did the work.

“You can’t do anything in two days, expect just to be there, maybe ease the pressure and then try to add a bit of influence in terms of energy. Look like you are relaxed, you are cold on the face but deep down your heart is burning and on fire. It’s part of life.”

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