BLOEMFONTEIN Celtic’s promising defender Bongani Sam will forever be grateful to coach Steve Komphela for helping him kick-start his career, which led to him getting a Bafana Bafana call-up.
This was capped by his nomination for the Absa Young Player of the Year award during Sunday’s PSL Awards held in Durban.
The category was eventually won by SuperSport United midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
The-21-year-old was spotted by Owen Da Gama in the Nedbank Ke Yona Team Search in 2017, alongside Khabo Zondo and Mike Mangena.
Sam made the Ke Yona Team Search cut and was drafted into the Celtic squad, where he was signed on a development contract.
Having noticed his talent, Da Gama, who joined Highlands Park in 2017 in the National First Division, took him on loan in the same year.
He featured in eight games for Highlands that season, and the following season didn’t play a single league match when the Siyabahlaba/Siyabangena won the NFD title and eventually promoted to the PSL.
The arrival of Komphela at the cash-strapped Phunya Sele Sele at the beginning of the 2018-19 season was the turning point for Sam, who had already rejoined the team.
Komphela, now with Golden Arrows, gave him his first start at Celtic in the PSL match against Orlando Pirates, where he scored his first goal.
Sam didn’t look back since then, and ended the season playing 25 games in all competitions for Celtic and scored two goals.
Yesterday, Nedbank congratulated their Ke Yona Team Search graduate for his listing in the Bafana squad for the Cosafa Cup, which starts tomorrow.
“Komphela introduced me to the rigours of the PSL,” said Sam.
“He played a big role in helping me develop and gain experience of playing in the PSL. Komphela became a real mentor. I model my game to Bayern Munich’s left-back David Alaba and locally, it’s S’fiso Hlanti (Bidvest Wits), because we talk on a regular basis. Coach Steve motivates me.”
