Steve Komphela warns Mamelodi Sundowns after their CAF Champions League triumph: 'There is danger in success'

By overcoming Moroccan giants AS FAR over two legs, the Brazilians were finally crowned African champions for the second time, etching their names into the history books as the first South African team to secure its second Champions League title.

The triumph effectively ended a decade-long drought for the continent's biggest prize, easing the immense pressure that had mounted on the club since their initial 2016 success.

However, Steve Komphela is wary of the aftermath of such high-level achievement and opened up on what he calls the 'dark side' of success.

He noted that while the victory is historic, it opens the door to internal threats that could derail the club's long-term dominance if not managed with an iron fist.

The journey to the podium was far from smooth for Miguel Cardoso’s men. After Rhulani Mokwena guided the team to a semi-final finish in 2024, Cardoso suffered the agony of losing a final to Pyramids FC the following season.

Komphela believes that specific failure was the catalyst needed to push the group over the line this season, culminating in a 2-1 aggregate win over AS FAR.

“I felt these guys deserved it. The hunt and the chase for this second star have been on and on, and it was even ignited by the miss last season,” Komphela told The Pitch Side Podcast.

“Pyramids messed us up, but it was for the good. Benefit of hindsight, had we not been messed up by Pyramids, [Sundowns might not have won the Champions League].

"Let’s say we win. Could we have made it for the third time? Maybe not. Because even success has its own dark side.

"In success, there are blessings and bad luck.

"Now, you need to have your own analysis in terms of the threats from success.”

Komphela’s primary concern is the potential for the squad to lose its competitive edge now that the primary objective has been reached. He argues that the biggest danger to a champion is the belief that the journey is over.

The veteran coach is determined to ensure that the 'I have arrived' mentality does not seep into the locker room at Chloorkop during the off-season.

“I’ll quickly check on what I mean about the threats after success," Komphela explained.

"The minute you hit that level of success, there is exposure of your players to many people who may be interested.

"That’s a threat. Then the minute they achieve that much, some will think ‘I have arrived’.

"That’s a threat. So, you always have to bring the element that there is a threat to this success. Identify the threat so that you can nullify and deal with it in advance.”

With Sundowns now officially back at the summit of African football, the attention shifts to defending their crown and maintaining their domestic stranglehold.

For Komphela, the message is clear: the sun can be a dangerous place to linger for too long.

He wants the players to remain grounded and focused on the next challenge rather than basking in the glow of their Rabat victory.

“Don’t relax and stay there in the sun because you think you are successful. There is danger in success; there are threats in success,” Komphela concluded.

The Brazilians will now have to navigate the upcoming transfer window and the heightened expectations of a fan base that will no longer settle for anything less than total continental supremacy every single year.