Kekana confident Sundowns can defend PSL title

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana recalls of the time when Kaizer Chiefs looked set to run away with the Absa Premiership title back in the 2013/14 season. Only for a surging Sundowns, who emerged from nowhere to overtake Amakhosi, and snatched the league title right under their nose.

On Wednesday, Masandawana face age-old rivals SuperSport United in the fourth Tshwane derby edition this season after outclassing Stuart Baxter’s side 5-0 about a week ago.

United did, however, pick up a morale boosting victory in the Caf Confederation Cup in a 5-0 routing of Liberian side Barrack Young Controllers, resulting in a 6-1 aggregate score-line, which paved a way into the group stages of the competition for Matsatsantsa.

“We have been in this phase before when we won the league in 2014. We turned things around and we went on to win the league with 10 wins in a row and that was a turning point for us. I think we are more than capable to do it again because we now understand and the experience tells us that we can do it again,” said the skipper.

Having played two games fewer than pacesetters Cape Town City, the Brazilians’ chances of defending their title looks much better than it did five games ago as they are only four points behind The Citizens, who are also in action with fellow title hopefuls Bidvest Wits in the Mother city on Wednesday night.

“We still have so many games to play and we have so many games to make sure that we apply ourselves and our goal as Mamelodi Sundowns is to make sure that we enjoy every game that we play and we make sure that we win matches. But even so, if that does not happen, we are not going to crumble and start looking for excuses,” Kekana said.

The 31-year-old admits that his side will find the going tougher than usual at this climatic stage of the season, considering the number of teams vying for the title, and the title run-in looking likely to be contested to the very end.

“We are much aware that everyone wants to beat Sundowns, it is a fact and it is there, and as players we are aware that we need to double our efforts for us to not concede many goals.”