As Mamelodi Sundowns navigate a turbulent period, defender Grant Kekana has addressed the growing scrutiny and ‘noise’ surrounding the club’s recent internal shifts.
Sundowns are preparing to face MC Alger in the final match of the CAF Champions League group stages with their back against the wall. Masandawana are desperate for a victory against Rulani Mokwena’s team to qualify for the knockout stage of the competition. This past weekend, Sundowns failed to collect maximum points against FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo, drawing 1-1 away from home.
Before the match against Lupopo, Sundowns lost 2-1 to Al Hilal. The unconvincing results have seen them facing a risk of not advancing to the knockout phase.
As it stands, Sundowns are occupying the third position in Group C of the Champions League with six points in five matches after registering only one win, three draws, and one defeat.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, Sundowns have also been struggling for a consistent winning form as they are trailing Orlando Pirates by three points on the league table. Sundowns are sitting in second place on the league table with 32 points, while Pirates are at the summit of the log with 35 points.
As a result, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has faced a lot of criticism, with some of the Sundowns fans calling for his sacking. The Portuguese mentor, alongside the club’s sporting director Flemming Berg were attacked by fans a few weeks ago.
This week, Sundowns was rocked by another controversy in their camp after analyst Mario Masha was suspended for allegedly leaking the club’s training information to Rulani Mokwena.
WHAT GRANT KEKANA SAID ABOUT ISSUES AT SUNDOWNS
Senior player Grant Kekana has addressed the issues at Sundowns, stressing that everyone feels like they have a chance to bring the club down.
“As a club, it’s not that we are too big to listen to the rumours or too big to pay attention to them. We are paying attention to what we can control, which is us players on the field,” Kekana said.
“So we hear the noise, there’ll always be noise because we’ve been doing well for so long, and everyone feels like they have a chance in taking us down. Such noise is expected, but I don’t think it can distract us.”
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