Hlompho Kekana feels Mamelodi Sundowns can gain much-needed continental experience from the CAF Confederation Cup regardless of its second-tier status.
After being crowned Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions, Sundowns will host Ghanaian club Medeama SC in the first leg of their play-off round at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday (18h00/6pm CAT), with the return leg scheduled for May 17-18 in Sekondi.
The aggregate winners proceed to the group stages draw, taking place on May 24.
For all the belittlement that this competition gets with some labeling it as a trivial consolation of the real deal – the Champions League – Kekana believes it is a worthy cause that keeps their dream of seeking silverware in Africa alive.
“As players we want to play in competitions where there are big teams, where there is competition. You need to test yourself with the big guns,” reckons Kekana.
And true to Kekana’s word there are plenty of big guns in this competition – Esperance de Tunis, Etoile du Sahel, TP Mazembe and Al-Merrikh are all teams that are still considered powerhouses on the continent despite being in the ‘shadow competition’ this year.
“This is what we do as Mamelodi Sundowns. We want to apply ourselves in every match and try to win matches. It is a good feeling to win matches and for us to go to Africa every now and then is a lesson that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. I personally love to go to
those places and try to see how far I am in terms of the character that I have.”
“I am going to be a father one day so I need to be a tough man. These are games that we still need to play to gauge how far we can compete on the continent so there is absolutely no way we will be looking down on this competition,” said Kekana.
Mamelodi Sundowns Ready for Medeama Test - Kekana
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