Grant Kekana has improved immensely since joining Mamelodi Sundowns and can now dream about leaving a lasting legacy at one of the continent’s biggest teams.
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The 30-year-old was never a stand out performer at his former club SuperSport United but has always been a hard worker and a disciplined player.
But since joining Sundowns, Kekana has become a notable defender and has broken into the Bafana Bafana squad and is on the brink of bringing the Caf Champions League trophy to Chloorkop.
Kekana admits that he has improved a lot since arriving at Sundowns, and credits the work of the technical team for that.
“I think (the performance) it’s improved a lot because at Sundowns everything is specific,” said Kekana this week.
“The coach goes into detail about everything so it helps you improve elements of your game that you didn’t even know were there.”
Kekana however feels he still has a lot to improve on if he is to become a regular at Bafana. He wants to be part of the team who will play the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast next year.
“I think it’s just gonna take from my side a lot of consistency to play a lot more. I’ve been having a lot of niggles that have been interrupting my season.
“I think I’ll go back even in the off-season to work on my strength so that I try as much to avoid such niggles. So that it doesn’t delay me from being called up to Bafana.”
In just two seasons with Sundowns, Kekana already has four medals – two DStv Premiership, one MTN8 and one Nedbank Cup.
But while he would not say it out loud in public, the one he hungers more for should be the Champions League medal.
Kekana in cusp of Champions League glory
And he is really close to getting it. Sundowns are in the semifinals of the competition and are 90 minutes away from making the final.
They need to get past defending champions Wydad Athletic of Morocco who they meet at Loftus Versfeld Stadium this afternoon.
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“This group of players needs to write its own history and I think we’ve given ourselves a chance to do that,” said Kekana of this prospect.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to boil down to us and how much we are going to want that second star but it’s something that’s obviously big in our minds.
“This is everything that we want, this is the big fish so we are all motivated.”
Sundowns held Wydad to a goalless draw in the first leg away playing under unfavourable circumstances.
They had Neo Maema sent off in the first half and Marcelo Allende in the second half in what were questionable decisions.
A Peter Shalulile goal was also disallowed for offside but television replays show that it should have stood.
