Alleged R28 million Mamelodi Sundowns release clause could stop Komphela's Orlando Pirates move - Vilakazi

Orlando Pirates legend Benedict Vilakazi says Mamelodi Sundowns' release clause could hold up Steve Komphela's reported move to Orlando Pirates.

The Buccaneers are reportedly in talks with Masandawana over the possibility of acquiring the services of the experienced tactician ahead of the new 2021/22 season.

Komphela signed a five-year deal with Sundowns when he joined the Tshwane giants as the senior coach in October 2020 and he would reportedly have to buy himself out of his current contract in order to leave for another club.

The release clause is said to be in the region of R28 million and Pirates would have to pay the money in order to get the 53-year-old tactician.

Vilakazi, who is Pirates' all-time top goalscorer with 52 goals for the club, feels that the release clause is the only thing stopping Komphela from replacing Josef Zinnbauer as the new Pirates head coach.

“The only issue here [Komphela joining Pirates] will be money, that will be the only problem because of his contact clause at Sundowns," Vilakazi told the Citizen.

"But other than that, I don’t see anything stopping him from joining Pirates.”

Zinnbauer's future at Pirates is reportedly uncertain after the Soweto giants added Komphela's former assistant, Mandla Ncikazi, to their technical team earlier this month.

Ncikazi joined the Buccaneers after guiding Lamontville Golden Arrows to a fourth-place finish in the PSL during the 2020/21 season and he has a good relationship with Komphela.

With Pirates having failed to secure Caf Champions League qualification in the recent season, Vilakazi believes that Komphela would improve the team.

“Steve is very good, he has the experience, he has been around and I believe he is one person who won’t just go to Pirates without analysing Pirates,” he added.

“He will know where the club is lacking, where are they strong, where he should maintain, and where he should start from scratch to fix."

Komphela worked under co-head coaches Manqoba Mngqithi and Rhulani Mokwena as Sundowns clinched their fourth successive PSL title this past season.

"He is the type of a coach who believes that before doing anything, he has to analyse. He will look at what happened at the club in the past seasons," he added. 

“So, he will come with whatever he found out and bring answers to the problems." 

He served as the head coach at Pirates' arch-rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, between 2015 and 2018.