It was a piece of art

Zola Doda: Hlompho, welcome back to the pages of Soccer Laduma! What have you been up to these days?

Hlompho Kekana:

From the football side, I’m busy doing the Mamelodi Sundowns podcast, called The Pitchside, with my former teammates and I’m loving it because it’s very informational. We are having fun and we talk about things like the CAF Champions League and what’s it’s like to play in the competition.

ZD: Looking back, what fond memories do you have of your playing career?

HK:

There are lots of things I achieved with Mamelodi Sundowns, including (winning) the 2016 CAF Champions League. I don’t think it was an easy tournament, let alone to reach the final. To participate in the tournament as the captain was one of the highlights of my career and we had a dressing room full of super talented players. I never saw life the same after that and I’ve grown a lot in terms of leadership and how I view things, and I think winning that tournament was the turning point. We wanted to win it, but we didn’t realise how big it was at the time. We thought we were untouchable. To win football matches was addictive to us and we were in a good run. We didn’t have enough time to celebrate all the big achievements we won that season because of the schedule. That year, we went all the way to the FIFA Club World Cup, the league and Telkom Knockout. More than anything, I think it was a beautiful team that wanted to play together, we loved playing together and winning football matches was the most important thing for that group and you could tell by the number of matches we won at the time. Now, when I travel the continent, I get reminded all the time of how the big tournament is, and winning it. That’s when I realise that we weren’t just football players. Actually, we have raised the bar.

ZD: How intimidating was it to play the 2016 Champions League first leg of the final at Lucas Moripe Stadium in front of all those supporters?

HK:

It was very intimidating to us because at the time, Sundowns supporters were not known to come to the stadium in numbers. To be able to see them coming out was intimidating to a lot of us and I remember we spoke about it and told ourselves that, “Today, there is no room for error.” Everything had to be spot on and we couldn’t afford to make mistakes. Even if you shouted and screamed on the field, we couldn’t hear each other. That was a special moment for a lot of us. I remember a young Percy Tau was so happy to be part of that experience. He told us that as a kid, he was longing to play in front of such a big crowd. For me, it was a second time playing against Zamalek. We were reminded of how important that was and we had to dig deep and make sure that we win the match. The crowd, the people who were there… it was so beautiful to see and we wanted to make them proud. We wanted to give them something to talk about when they went home. That was really a special moment for us.

ZD: In March 2016, the goal you scored against Cameroon was also nominated for FIFA Goal of the Year. Where do you place that in the list of your achievements?

HK:

It was a special moment. Players will tell you that to receive awards or recognition is special. I couldn’t imagine myself, a village boy, (being) nominated by FIFA. When I first saw my name amongst the best in the world alongside Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and a lot of other great people, it was something special. It was something I could have never imagined. I knew the goal against Cameroon was special. After scoring that goal, I asked one of the TV analysts to cut me the clip and after that I watched the video over and over again –it was just a beautiful goal. It was a piece of art and the cherry on top was getting nominated for FIFA Goal of the Year. It was against the powerhouse of African football, Cameroon. I also scored a long-range goal against Orlando Pirates, but it was a different technique. With the time that I had on the ball, the goal against Pirates was different. It was a different occasion

Hlompho Kekana is the first and only Mamelodi Sundowns captain so far to lift the CAF Champions League, doing so after the side got the better of Egyptian giants Zamalek in a two-legged final back in 2016. It ranks up there among a litany of achievements in a glorious career that started in modest surroundings ended on a high, even though sadly the team has not been able to win another

too. Against Cameroon, the time I had on the ball was very limited compared to the one against Pirates. It takes guts, courage and a little bit of craziness because can you imagine if I had missed, what my teammates were going to say to me? I had enough privilege to play with people who would allow me to express myself in that manner. When I look back, those goals look unreal.

ZD: Right now, the Brazilians are involved in the inaugural African Football League, having won the first leg of the quarterfinal against Petro Luanda 2-0 away from home. Great result. As the club’s former captain, what does this mean?

HK:

In my time, we were privileged enough to be granted an opportunity to leave the environment

better than we found it, and it was also our responsibility to make sure that we won the CAF Champions League so that the guys who came after us found the environment in a better space. For us, we should be proud of the work we put in to make sure that we put the club in a position to compete amongst the best on the continent. It was a lot of sacrifices made from the players, the board and the owners. Today, the players are in a good space to make sure that they can continue to win trophies. With the new tournament that they are in, that should tell you that for the team to be where it is, they had to compete consistently year in and year out. I was fortunate enough to be part of the process and that gives me proud moments because I know what it means for the players. It’s a difficult tournament, you meet (opposition) players who are at your

ZD: Sure… HK: continental trophy since then. His was a playing career that spanned over 17 years, where the man fondly known as “Gonzalez” won eight league titles and became part of the team that participated in the FIFA Club World Cup. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Zola Doda, the former midfield general reflects on some of the most memorable moments of his career and gives his take on the Tshwane giants’ season so far.

level and they will make you feel that.

The opponents are champions and they will show it and prove it to you that they are not called champions by mistake. You have to put in the work to win. When you look at the teams, they all believe that they are all bigger teams and can beat anybody and that is why matches are so competitive and exciting. In this competition, no team will bow down to any team because they all believe that they are bigger teams and are capable enough to win any football match. This is also the reason it’s so nice to play in the CAF Champions League because there are lots of different game models, different backgrounds of football. This is national team football for a lot of players who don’t get a chance to play for their respective national teams. Players will grow and develop when they play in these competitions, they will play at a level where they will be tested. You are not guaranteed to win a football match.

ZD: When you were playing in different competitions, how did you manage to find balance and rest? HK:

As a player, you have a responsibility to ensure that you are fit and your performances, how you perform is personal. It has to come from within. I played the game differently compared to other players in the PSL. I was aggressive and had to dominate the midfield so that my team could get an upper hand to win matches. We were playing so many matches, it required us to be in top shape. We had to give 100 percent and rest enough for the next match. The time that we had at Sundowns was not guaranteed, whatever opportunities we were given, we had to make use of them. We had to work hard and I love the fact that we created so many beautiful memories. I’m proud of the work that I did and to be remembered as the number eight with the captain’s armband. My teammates pushed me.

ZD: What do you think of the team winning six league titles in a row,

having been there at the beginning of that process?

HK:

When we won the league, it was tough. We went toe-to-toe with Pirates, and Cape Town City had to beat them, and the following season it was the same. It’s difficult to win the league because of the number of games you have to win in order to be called champions. We were ambitious and we knew that it didn’t just give us an opportunity to be champions of South Africa but to continuously participate in the CAF Champions League. When you are in continental competitions every season, you grow. I would like to see this team continue to win matches and we can see from the performances this season that they want to win the league, and it’s their responsibility to win the league so that we can find ourselves in the CAF Champions League next season. It’s more of a club culture because the players who play for Sundowns want to leave a mark and be counted as the generation that brought trophies to Chloorkop, and it’s important to do that. Everyone who plays know that it’s their responsibility to win.

MY NAME FIRST SAW “WHEN I IN THE THE BEST AMONGST LIONEL ALONGSIDE WORLD RONALDO CRISTIANO MESSI, GREAT OF OTHER AND A LOT SOMETHING IT WAS PEOPLE, SPECIAL.”

ZD: There is also the Champions League group stage coming up, as well as the Nedbank Cup, in addition to the African Football League. What is your message to the team?

HK:

I want to thank the supporters, first, for coming out in numbers, including during the MTN8. It was beautiful to see the final being sold out. Even the matches against Kaizer Chiefs. It’s encouraging to see the fans supporting their club. I want to rally them to continue to do that because there is no football matches without supporters – I am talking from experience. I was in the (COVID-19) bubble in 2020 and it was difficult to play at empty stadiums. Supporters encourage players. When you make a mistake, you know there are people who will cheer you up and make sure that you up your game. These tournaments offer the supporters a chance to come out more in numbers because these are pride matches. It’s North Africans, East Africans, West Africans and South Africans. These are pride matches and I believe it will give us an insight.