CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
Hlompho Kekana defends his performance in the past season
Mamelodi Sundowns skipper Hlompho Kekana has begged to differ with those who say he was not in his element in the recently concluded season, giving himself a high eight out of 10 for his contribution.
Kekana, 35, hardly missed a game in the past season, amassing 44 appearances across all competitions as he led the Brazilians to a treble of trophies (the Telkom Knockout, the league title and the Nedbank Cup).
Previously, Kekana had lost a few midfield battles, but it was a different story in the 2019/20 season as the man from Zebediela in Limpopo looked as though he was struggling to keep up the pace in most of the games. This was especially the case against Baroka and Golden Arrows in the bio-bubble, where Goodman Mosele and Ntsako Makhubela came out on top against the Sundowns captain.
There was a general feeling among a section of the Brazilians’ supporters that, given his age, Kekana did not deserve to start games with such frequency. However, coach Pitso Mosimane persisted in playing his skipper week in week out, insisting, “I stuck with him because he’s my captain.”
Disagreeing with those who say he struggled in the most recent season, Kekana argued it was easy for fans watching from the comfort of their sofas to criticise players.But he felt he did well and was happy about his overall season.
“I would give myself eight out of 10 because I am very proud of the many minutes I played ... the contributions also make me happy with my overall season. We won three trophies, so I can t complain,’’ Kekana said.
“Obviously they [the critics] are ’sitting on the couches and watching football. It’s easier for them to comment from the couches. I was once a kid in the village and I could comment about players while I am watching from TV.”
The Downs skipper is, however, is understanding and not taking the criticism to heart.
“You don’t know what’s the feeling on the field of play, so I won’t comment from a point of being a supporter. It’s so unfair of me to try and criticise the fans for criticising us.
“We are entertainers, we give them the content to talk about and it’s for us really to perform our duties as footballers.’’