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By Tshepo Ntsoelengoe

Football Journalist


Swallows team manager Kapowezha refutes Komphela’s claims

“When coach Steve came into the club, we knew where he was coming from," said the Birds team manager.


Moroka Swallows team manager Elasto Kapowezha has refuted claims made by former coach Steve Komphela.

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Komphela was on radio this week, outlining some of the problems he faced while he was still the coach of Swallows after parting ways with the club.

The former Kaizer Chiefs and Maritzburg United coach claimed during the interview with Andile Ncube that at one stage the Swallows players had to have their pre-training meal at a gym in Stellenbosch and he accused Kapowezha of not doing their job properly.

Kapowezha, who also went to the same show as Komphela, says the former Birds mentor’s accusations are far-fetched.

“I have been at the club (for a long time), this is my fifth season and it could not be that looking at the experiences that one had acquired over the years, and what coach Steve said. Things like taking a pre-match meal in the gym, wow. For me, that was far-fetched,” he told SABC radio.

“Never in any way would a professional person of Elasto Kapowezha do such things. There is no way you can go have a meal at the gym, please.”

Kapowezha added that they knew that coach Komphela would somehow struggle at a club like Swallows looking at where he came from (Mamelodi Sundowns).

“When coach Steve came into the club, we knew where he was coming from and entering into the environment of Swallows was not going to be easy for him. I have worked with a number of coaches Ernst Middendorp, Dylan Kerr, and Brandon Truter. Coach Steve is a coach of certain preferences because I have never had such complaints.

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“Part of my role is the logistics of the team. But when you are dealing with a third party, there can be flaws in that, and if there is an incident that happens the way coach Steve says, of course with a lot of exaggeration in it. To say a team almost had a video session or a team talk in the gym, it is far from the truth.”

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