‘It’s a mental thing’ - Hlompho Kekana on Sundowns form

by Graeme Jackson

Wednesday Nov 01, 2017. 15:30

Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Hlompho Kekana believes the team’s recent drop form “is a mental thing” and expects them to return to winning ways.

The Brazilians have struggled to hit top gear in the last couple of months, notably exiting the CAF Champions League at the hands of Wydad Casablanca in September, while they enter tonight’s league match against Orlando Pirate having lost three successive games across all competitions.

“I wouldn’t say that much has changed,” Kekana told the club's website in regards to what has gone wrong with their form.

“It’s only the personnel that has changed because if you look at the team that won the league two years ago, some of the guys who were there are no longer there.

“But not much has changed in terms of how we play if you looked at the games that we have played.

“We just need to make sure that we start winning matches to gain confidence because it is a mental thing.

“You win a match and there is more belief in what you can do. You explore more things and play with a little bit of creativity.

“If you look at the way we are playing at the moment, you can see that we are still trying to gel well and make sure that we score goals. I still say that if we defend well, we stand a chance of winning.”

The Bafana Bafana midfielder added, “It is always challenging to lose, especially for a team like Sundowns. But at the same time, a team like Mamelodi Sundowns is full of internationals. They know their responsibilities in the team.

“We have to make sure that we represent the team well. We have a responsibility to ensure that the team is always on top for the benefit of everyone. I am quite confident, that with the internationals we have here, we will bounce back.”