Kekana calls for improvement from Sundowns after ‘naive’ loss to Magesi

Mamelodi Sundowns legend Hlompho Kekana didn’t hold back in his assessment of the Carling Knockout final loss to Magesi FC. 

The Brazilians gave away the lead to unfancied Magesi who recorded a stunning 2-1 to win to lift the knockout competition at the Free State Stadium last Saturday.

Kekana was clearly not impressed with the current crop of Sundowns stars as he branded their application in Bloemfontein against Magesi naive.

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He was speaking on the popular segment of the club’s Pitchside Podcast shortly after the match.

“The danger is when you lose control of the match. We had control of it after we scored the goal and then in the second half, we became so naive in a sense that you’re leading and it’s not yet clear (where the game is going) . I felt like we opened the midfield too early,” Kekana said.

“You must win the final and it doesn’t matter how many goals you score but try to consolidate the game. The mistake of opening the midfield too early cost us especially, in that crucial stage of the game where we had a goal so try to find a balance.”

Kekana is hoping the loss to Magesi will be a lesson the Brazilians can take into the Caf Champions League group stage campaign that gets underway against Maniema Union of DR Congo tonight.

The Tshwane giants will be looking to improve on last season’s performance where they were knocked out in the semi-finals by Esperance of Tunisia

“These are the lessons you take going forward to know that until you get the second goal, don’t relax. This was a typical champions league match where you think you’re in control but you’re not. It was a game of two boxes where on the other side, their keeper was brilliant but it doesn’t take away from the fact that we could be clinical,” Kekana concluded.

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“The Champions League is coming where in some matches, you think that you’re in control but as long as you don’t get that cushion goal l, you’re not home and dry. Those are the lessons you need to take especially, coming from a game against Magesi where everyone expects you to win and in the champions league, they also give you the bait where you think you’re in control but you’re not.”