Wits Keene to turn tables

James Keene says Bidvest Wits are showing the character of champions again as they prepare to face Cape Town City this evening in the Nedbank Cup last-32.

The Clever Boys lost three times to City in the space of a few weeks in August and September of last year, once in the Absa Premiership and twice in the MTN8 semifinals, with two of those games taking place at tonight’s venue, Bidvest Stadium.

All this was part of a pretty awful first part of the season for Gavin Hunt’s side, even though they did win the Telkom Knockout. Wits have put up a shambolic defence of their league title, sitting at the bottom of the league at Christmas, though a mini-revival has seen them pick up 11 points out of a possible 15 in their last five matches.

“We are looking like champions again,” said Keene (below) this week at Wits training.

“We are playing well. We were better than Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday (though that game ended 1-1) I think with hard work and a good positive attitude, the results will keep coming. Like on Saturday, we came back from one down, against SuperSport we were one down and won 4-1, so the character is back. If you look around the team, the quality is there … we must just keep going now.”

The 32-year-old Englishman has struck up a good strike partnership of late with Lehlohonolo Majoro, who signed in the January transfer window. Keene has three goals in his last four appearances for Wits, while Majoro got off the mark in the draw with Chiefs.

“It is easy to play with him, he is a smart footballer,” added Keene.

“He has also got experience and he works hard and helps me, I like to think I help him. It is a partnership that is growing. I think in our first game I set up a few chances for him and he did the same for me and I think we are a threat going forward.”