Kekana reaches for a (league) star
Hlompho Kekana has been nominated for the Premier Soccer League's Footballer of the Season award more often than anyone else, without coming out on top.
Hllompho Kekana, Thembinkosi Lorch and Themba Zwane will compete for the Footballer of the Season award.
The Mamelodi Sundowns captain is in the final three for the fourth time on the trot.
Team-mate Themba Zwane and Orlando Pirates’ Thembinkosi Lorch are the other two, and they will also contest the Midfielder of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season awards when the trophies are handed out this Sunday in Durban.
“I am happy and proud of myself. It shows that people are watching and they can see what I do in every match that I play, and I am happy for myself and whoever made it possible for me to be among the nominees,” says Kekana, who switches tone when asked if he harbours ambitions to bag the coveted gong.
“I would be very selfish if I start looking at the awards in that way because when I play football I always try to win trophies, and what I am happy about is that we won the league.
“This is my sixth league title and it is something I should be proud of because not many players have reached that milestone.
“I just want to celebrate the victory of the league because it is what the team wanted.
“The personal awards are always nice but I would love to see my team win the trophies more than anything.
“I am happy and excited because more than anything. This has been something I have been dreaming about since I was young. I have always wanted to better myself. Every time I take to the pitch I always make sure that I want to put extra effort that can help the team.”
Kekana said he and his team-mates have set their sights on a third-consecutive league title, Sundowns’ 10th in the PSL era.
“It is something that we are working on as players. It is one of the goals that we have set for ourselves to try and change the badge of our team because if you win 10 league titles you stand a chance of having a star on your badge.”
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
