Komphela Labels Super Cup Defeat ‘Breakfast For Champions’
Mamelodi Sundowns senior coach Steve Komphela has described losing the CAF Super Cup as “breakfast for champions,” promising management and supporters that the team will rectify their mistakes and bounce back.
Sundowns, heavily favoured ahead of the clash, suffered a humbling 3-1 defeat at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday against CAF Confederation Cup winners USM Alger.
Defensive Lapses and Early Injuries Haunt Masandawana
Head coach Miguel Cardoso admitted that circumstances were stacked against the Brazilians from the outset—clarifying that he was not questioning match officiating.
Sundowns suffered pre-match setbacks when midfielder Nuno Santos picked up an injury during warm-ups, followed by striker Brayan León straining his groin while chasing a ball during play. Defensive lapses and wasteful finishing further punished the hosts throughout the 90 minutes.
The setback compounds a difficult continental campaign for Masandawana. The loss comes shortly after Sundowns failed to qualify for the CAF Champions League group stage, having been eliminated in the second preliminary round on away goals by Angolan side Wiliete SC.
As runners-up, Sundowns earned $250,000 (USD), while USM Alger claimed the $500,000 top prize.
Komphela Rallies Squad and Reminds Fans of Club’s Stature
Despite the recent slump, Komphela offered reassurance to the Sundowns faithful, insisting the squad possesses the mental fortitude to overcome adversity.
“Champions always find a way, always find a way,” Komphela said.
“This is how your character gets built. I don’t think we are the first ones to go through this, and I don’t think we are going to be the last ones.
“Sundowns have been in situations where we needed to dust ourselves off and show character. We have a great dressing room filled with highly experienced players and a strong technical team.
“They know how to focus on what needs to be addressed. We will feel the disappointment, but the best part is understanding that there is nothing you can do about what has already happened. You can only go back, make corrections, rectify things and find solutions.
“As they always say, this is breakfast for champions. Give us an opportunity to bounce back.”
Komphela also shared a poignant touchline interaction following the final whistle.
“It’s funny because, as soon as the match came to an end, one of the players from USM came through and said something very strange. He said, ‘You guys are a big team; you will recover’.
“To me, that was profound. Sometimes in life, we need to be reminded of who we are, and this is one of those moments. Obviously, at Sundowns, we wish to win every trophy,” Komphela said.
“Nobody was given a birthright to win, but we wanted to win it. Unfortunately, things didn’t go our way. You don’t want to simply move forward and become paralysed by the fact that there are other challenges ahead.
“But where we are, where we are heading, and also considering our supporters and the fact that we are Champions League winners, when you play against a team that has also won the CAF Confederation Cup, the logic or common-sense expectation would be that the Champions League winners should prevail. Sometimes football doesn’t work like that.
“We regret the result. We wanted things to be different, but unfortunately, it didn’t go our way. Congratulations to our opponents.”
