Hlompho Kekana openly discusses Mamelodi Sundowns' future in the CAF Champions League this season! | OneFootball

Former Mamelodi Sundowns captain speaks very frankly.

Hlompho Kekana openly discusses Mamelodi Sundowns' future in the CAF Champions League this season!

Ahead of a high-stakes CAF Champions League clash in Algeria, a familiar shadow looms over Mamelodi Sundowns. The Brazilians are set to face MC Alger, but the true intrigue of the match lies in the home team's dugout, where their former mastermind, Rulani Mokwena, now stands as their adversary.

This Friday at the Ali La Pointe Stadium, the encounter is charged with more than just points; it's a tactical chess match against a man who knows the Sundowns playbook intimately. While Masandawana arrive with confidence, fresh from a 3-1 victory in their group opener, Mokwena's MC Alger are wounded, coming off a narrow 2-1 away loss to Al Hilal. The pressure is firmly on the home side, with their demanding fans offering little patience for a second consecutive defeat.

For former Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana, the central threat is Mokwena's profound insider knowledge. He envisions a unique psychological battle, where the coach can anticipate moves almost by instinct.

“It’s going to be that game where you play against someone who knows you very well. This guy spent about seven years here,” Kekana remarked on the Pitchside Podcast.

He elaborated on the mental challenge this presents for the players, suggesting that conventional tactics might not be enough against such a familiar foe.

“That’s so many years, I’m sure he knows what’s coming without even watching videos of previous matches. Of course, it needs players to be sober-minded in this approach to know that you are playing against somebody who knows you so much that you don’t have to hide your emotions."

“You can’t hide your facial expression or anything from that person. So, the preparations for this match, as a former player, I would easily say let’s go and play 90 minutes.”

In this compelling narrative, the game becomes a test of wits and will, pitting a team's current strength against the deep-seated knowledge of its former architect.