Kekana offers Sundowns a CAF Champions League advice

Former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana has given the Tshwane giants a steer ahead of their CAF Champions League group stage journey.

The retired midfielder led the Brazilians to their maiden Champions League trophy in 2016 under the guidance of then coach Pitso Mosimane.

While dominating domestic football, Bafana Ba Style have become regulars in the competition. However, the prestigious Champions League trophy has been eluding them in the previous six years.

Again this season, the Pretoria-based club has set an ambitious goal to hoist the Champions League title.

Kekana, who left the Tshwane giants in November last year, says talent alone isn’t enough to win you the Champions League.

He has encouraged Sundowns to prepare themselves mentally in order to tackle the on and off-the-field obstacles they will run into in Africa.

KEKANA – THE KEY TO CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GLORY

“The key here is to have mental strength,” Kekana told FARPost.

“Somewhere, somehow, the talent won’t win you a match, mental strength will do.”

In the last six years, the highest stage that the Tshwane giants have reached is the semifinals during the 2018/19 season where they were knocked out by Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca.

And in April this year Sundowns were eliminated from the Champions League by Angolan side Petro de Luanda in the quarterfinals.

This season, Sundowns were exempted from the first preliminary round alongside Wydad Casablanca, Esperance Sportive de Tunis, Raja Casablanca, Al Ahly and TP Mazembe.

Rulani Mokwena’s men began their Champions League campaign in style, thumping Seychelles’ La Passe 15-1 in aggregate score in the second preliminary round to book a spot in the group stages.

They have been drawn in Group B against Al Ahly (Egypt), Al Hilal (Sudan) and Coton Sport (Cameroon).

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