Moroka Swallows coach Steve Komphela has explained why he believes there is ‘hypocrisy’ when dealing with the mental health issues of players in South Africa.
Komphela was asked what his views are regarding mental health issues following the revelation by English club Burnley FC about Lyle Foster.
Burnley FC announced that the Bafana Bafana forward has taken an indefinite break from football to deal with his mental issues. The issue of mental health is also not foreign to local footballers but it’s not often spoken about.
Komphela says football is not immune to social challenges experienced by all human beings and solving problems faced by players should also not be different.
“I find it to be highly hypocritical. It’s hypocrisy that we advocate for mental health in general. We are quite aware of mental health issues in general, in society, and communities,” said Komphela.
“Now as we say football is just a microscopic reflection of society. If and when society has a particular problem, football will experience that problem.
“So when society is experiencing mental issues through whatever, the whole world is going through mental health issues. Now do we think football does not have [mental issues]? football has.
“Then the hypocrisy I am talking about is the one where I am a coach at Swallows, I know there are mental issues in society. When I had mental health issues in my club, then I chose to treat that player differently, that’s hypocrisy,” he explained.
Komphela also highlighted the discrepancies in how mental health challenges are treated among players in SA football.
“It is my primary responsibility as a guy who is cautious and aware of mental health issues in society. To be responsible enough and be responsive to the mental health issues within you.”
The ex-Kaizer Chiefs coach added: “If I have a player who is giving me problems as a coach, he is giving the clubs problems and then I decide or opt to say, let him go, it’s hypocrisy.
“After letting the player go because he has his own issues, because we always say this is a professional environment we don’t babysit and all that. Okay, do you want to tell me that society must adopt the same strategy of saying we don’t have time for people who have mental health issues here? No man,” he added.
“So we just need to find a way to give them tools and mechanisms of how to cope with these issues. They vary, they are different.
“But the biggest of them all, I think an advantage to athletes is that they are involved physically. Physical exercise is a great remedy to any issues that are either mental or spiritual because you keep working on the body.”
