Darren Keet

Darren Keet is still nursing Bafana Bafana’s wounds after an Africa Cup of Nations to forget. The Belgiumbased goalkeeper talks about the after-effects of the continental championship.

The keeper is paying dearly for his Nations Cup trip

It’s been a difficult start to 2015 for South African goalkeeper Darren Keet, and quite a journey for the Cape Town-born gloveman in recent years. An irreplaceable figure between the sticks for Belgian Jupiler League side KV Kortrijk since joining in 2011, Keet now finds himself struggling to get off the bench, having last featured in a League match on 26 December before joining up with his national teammates ahead of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. At that point, Keet was a trusted figure in goal for both club and country, having started in Bafana Bafana’s final two Afcon qualifiers following the tragic passing of skipper Senzo Meyiwa. A 2-1 home win against Sudan in Durban ensured the country’s qualification for the Nations Cup for the first time in seven years, while a 2-2 draw against Nigeria and a 1-0 friendly win over Zambia in early January put Keet in a favourable position to be Shakes Mashaba’s starting number one in Equatorial Guinea. After being handed leave of absence following the birth of his child, Keet missed Bafana’s friendlies against Cameroon and Mali ahead of their tournament opener – a 3-1 loss to Algeria on 19 January. This was the last match Keet played in domestic or international football. We all know what happened against Africa’s top-ranked team: Thuso Phala’s 51st minute strike gave South Africa the lead, before Tokelo Rantie missed a golden opportunity to double the advantage when his penalty ricocheted off the cross-bar three minutes later. Then Keet was left stranded midway through the second stanza as the ball glanced off the head of Thulani Hlatshwayo into the back of his own net. Five minutes later the Bafana shotstopper was well-beaten at his near post, Faouzi Ghoulam brushing off his marker and releasing a fierce left-footed strike to give the Algerians the lead. And it went from bad to worse for both South Africa and Keet as he let Islam Slimani’s grass-cutter from the edge of the box slip under his body to condemn Bafana to a 3-1 defeat.

He saw no more on-field action for the rest of the tournament. “I was disappointed, because you always want to play all the games,” Keet tells KICK OFF. “I felt I lacked match sharpness, and after the first game, I got my sharpness back. I was ready. “It was tough watching from the bench as you always feel you can add value, but I always kept a positive energy and supported everyone. You always learn a lot from these experiences, and I learned a lot about myself too.” Jackson Mabokgwane was brought in for Bafana’s next game, a 1-1 draw with Senegal, and Brilliant Khuzwayo donned the gloves in the final group stage loss to Ghana. Mashaba later described his selection as his ‘goalkeeper rotation policy’ – unheard of in international tournaments, and something Keet says he was unaware of. “Nothing was discussed with me about it,” Keet says. “We were a little in the dark about who was playing until the team announcement.” Despite being unceremoniously dropped from the starting XI, Keet says he still has a good rapport with his fellow keepers and coach Mashaba. “I have an open personality, and as keepers we always work well together, so we all had a good relationship,” he says. “With the coach, it was the same, as I worked with him at Under-23 level, and have always maintained a good relationship. “I don’t have any hard feelings at all. If you ask Shakes he will say to you that he knew I was disappointed, but after that I was exactly the same supportive person I always am.” Keet has enjoyed three successful years in Belgium. Having come through the ranks at Western Cape sides Santos and Vasco da Gama, he joined PSL club Bidvest Wits in 2008 and was part of the 2010 Nedbank Cup winning squad before moving to Europe a year later. After a relatively slow start – 16 appearances in all competitions in his first season, Keet became Kortrijk’s undisputed number one, making 35 appearances in 2012/13. The following year, Keet made 32 starts, before playing 20 consecutive matches at the start of this season, leaving for Afcon with his club in an impressive third position. While enduring his difficult time in Equatorial Guinea, Keet was replaced by young Laurent Henkinet at Kortrijk. Keet has been unable to dislodge him from his starting position, despite the club dropping down to fifth place in Keet’s absence. “It is hard, but it’s all part of the game,” says Keet. “I sacrificed a lot when I went to Afcon, and that includes my club position. We continued to do well while I was on the bench, so there was no reason to rush me

back in. But I am working hard to claim my number one spot back.” Keet says mental strength and hard work keeps him going: “Hard work is some of it, but mentality is the all of it,” he reveals. “I need to remain strong in my mind to keep pushing myself and always be positive for myself and the team and especially the keeper who is playing. My time will come again.” Keet’s contract with Kortrijk is up at the end of next season, yet he remains tightlipped over a possible move elsewhere, insisting his focus is still on his current team. “With one year left to go it is not in my hands until I get a new contract offer,” he says. “At the moment, all I know is I am at Kortrijk. There is nothing else that has been spoken of at all.” And, though Keet does miss playing in South Africa, he will only return to the PSL later in his career. “I have said to my wife that I miss playing in South Africa,” he says. “I would eventually want to come back to play, but only in the distant future.”

We were a little in the dark about who was playing until the team announcement.