Secrets of the Stars
With Darren Keet (Bafana Bafana)
Cape United goalkeeper Darren Keet reveals some interesting facts about his life.
1 Darren Keet was born and raised in Cape Town, and is the youngest of four boys. His eldest brother, 41, lives in Alabama, United States, the second-born will be turning 40 while the third-born will be 36 this year.
2 Known as ‘Popeye’, his nickname was given to him when his older brother fell while jumping a trampoline and knocked his eye. “After that, I just never stopped saying the word Pop-eye, and that then became my permanent nickname even until today.”
3 Keet had been playing for Ajax Cape Town (now known as Cape Town Spurs) for a period of three years between the ages of 11 and 13, but was then told to leave. “I was asked to leave because they said I wasn’t going to be good enough to make it at the club or in football in future.”
4 At school he was nearly forced to quit playing sport because he was on the verge of failing the year. “My then English teacher called my mom to warn that I would probably fail the year as I was always only focussed on sport. My mother then said that if I failed, I would be banned from participating in any sport. I quickly changed to do what I needed to pass, so that I could pursue my football career.”
5 The former Bidvest Wits goalkeeper got married in 2013 and has two kids named Leighton, aged 6, and Layla, aged 1, but initially his wife was sceptical about his chosen career. “When my wife Sandra and I started dating in 2008, and I told her that I play football, she couldn’t understand how I made money from kicking a ball around or messing about with my friends. She had no idea that football was a professional job.”
6 His wife is of German descent and holds a German passport but this did not allow him to obtain citizenship after they got married. “For me to get a German passport, I would need to go and live and work in Germany, and speak the language fluently, for at least three years before I could apply for citizenship. But German law provides for the wife to obtain her citizenship immediately after marriage, should the husband be German. Crazy, hey?”
7 In his spare time, Keet can often be found on the golf course. “I am a keen golfer, with what’s known as a scratch handicap, which is like 0. I play quite often, but as a hobby. I don’t think I’m good enough to play it professionally but maybe one day when I’m over 50, because after football I’d like to go into coaching.” 8 He grew up with a passion for baseball and played at amateur level as a kid. Today he continues to follow the sport and occasionally enjoys a casual game with some friends when he’s back in Cape Town. “I follow all Major League Baseball action because I’ve always enjoyed the sport, and I have a few friends that have made it overseas. I was a good player at 14-15 years old, but at that age I already made up my mind that I wanted to be a footballer.”
9 Keet is a property owner in Cape Town and has his own Airbnb apartment, which is available for holiday bookings throughout the year. “I plan to study property development and do it in the future as well. Basically, it’s where you buy property, renovate it and then sell it at a profit.”
10 He recently started a Youtube channel, on which he shares personal content featuring footage from his football training as well as helpful insights and reviews on golf courses and equipment.