CAPE TOWN – It didn’t take too long - Steve Komphela is back in the PSL.
After being fired by Kaizer Chiefs, the former Bafana Bafana captain was announced as the new Bloemfontein Celtic boss on Wednesday.
The 50-year-old Komphela will take charge after Serbian mentor Veselin Jelusic resigned.
Celtic said on Wednesday that Komphela has signed a two-year contract, with an additional one-year option, and he will be keen to turn things around at the Free State outfit after they missed out on the top eight in the Premiership last season.
“Our strategy was to get a reputable local coach with immense pedigree who can take us to greater heights, and in Steve, we found an appropriate candidate,” Celtic chairman Max Tshabalala said.
“Last season was complicated and we failed to achieve our goals. However, we have now acquired the services of someone passionate, hungry for success and willing to bring the excitement synonymous with Celtic supporters.
“He has the judgment, knowledge and experience. He promotes the youth and has an exceptional eye for raw talent, and that is exactly what we need as a team.
“We are relying heavily on the support of our forever supportive fans to rally behind the coach and his team.”
But having failed to deliver any titles during his three seasons at the helm at Chiefs, Komphela will be under pressure to deliver at Celtic.
A post shared by Bloemfontein Celtic(@bloemceltic_sa) on Jun 20, 2018 at 6:50am PDT
The lack of success at the Amakhosi ultimately resulted in him being driven out of the club by the fans, who rioted at Moses Mabhida Stadium on April 21 following the Nedbank Cup semi-final defeat to Free State Stars. Komphela quit his job that same night.
Now he will try to re-establish himself as a top coach at Phunya Sele Sele, who are also in the midst of financial problems that have resulted in Tshabalala confirming that the club is for sale.
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