Sundowns’ Kekana hungry for more success

Hlompho Kekana of Mamelodi Sundowns

Monday Sep 21, 2020. 13:00

Despite leading Mamelodi Sundowns to a treble of Absa Premiership, Nedbank Cup and Telkom Knockout in the 2019-20 season, captain Hlompho Kekana says he remains hungry for more silverware.

The veteran midfielder has established himself as one of the all-time greats for the Brazilians, winning no less than 11 major trophies (including the CAF Champions League) in his tenure at Chloorkop, which began way back in 2011.

The 35-year-old is surely in the twilight of his career, but any notion of taking his foot off the pedal is rejected by the powerhouse midfielder.

“It [winning more trophies] is difficult but it is doable,” he told IOL. “We are an ambitious team. Every season, we’ve managed to win trophies.”

Kekana knows that his time in the game is nearing an end, but the desire to continue making history and leaving an indelible mark both on Sundowns and South African football drives him forward.

“We have limited time in football. We want to use this time wisely. We want to enjoy these moments,” He explained.

“Our aim is to create good memories while we are at the club. Our goals are still the same, we want to win trophies. We want to make sure that we better our previous season performances.”

He continued, “When I was a kid in the village, it was always my dream to win trophies and mainly the league. All I wanted was to win one league title. I am blessed to have (won) seven [including two in his time with SuperSport United].

“I still want more league titles and more trophies. I’m proud of the journey that I’ve travelled. It hasn’t been all that smooth but I am proud of the amount of work that I’ve put. I’m still motivated and have the desire to win more.”

Sundowns’ dominance of the South African game is something Kekana wants to see continuing in the near future.

“We have to make better use of our opportunities and those opportunities are now. We still have a wonderful opportunity to play football. It is important to create our own history,” he stated.

“Our success pushes us to always be on our toes – it doesn’t get easier. Teams are tired of us winning trophies and they want to challenge us. But it is a challenge that we embrace.”