Mamelodi Sundowns centre-back Keanu Cupido has spoken out on Grant Kekana’s absence for the upcoming second leg of the CAF Champions League semi-final against Esperance.
Sundowns will welcome the Tunisian giants at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, 18 April, holding an advantage after winning the first leg 1-0 away from home. The Brazilians have one foot in the final of the Champions League after scoring a crucial away goal courtesy of Brayan Leon.
Miguel Cardoso’s troops are on the verge of making it to the final for the second season in a row after losing in the last hurdle against Pyramids FC in the previous campaign. Downs are chasing their second Champions League title, having won the trophy back in 2016 under the then-head coach Pitso Mosimane.
In the first-leg semi-final match against Esperance last weekend, Grant Kekana played a crucial role in defence for Sundowns to keep a clean sheet. However, the experienced defender did not finish the match after receiving a red card in the final minutes. Kekana will miss one match in the continental showpiece, and he could be available for selection should Sundowns advance to the final.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS TO NAVIGATE ESPERANCE CLASH WITHOUT GRANT KEKANA
The Bafana Bafana international is set to miss the crucial encounter at Loftus Versfeld, leaving a significant void in the Masandawana backline. Kekana has been a pillar of strength for Sundowns during their continental campaign, and his leadership in high-stakes matches will be sorely missed. The former SuperSport United star has featured in 26 matches across all competitions for the Tshwane giants.
With Kekana suspended for the Esperance match, his centre-back partner, Keanu Cupido, has admitted the 33-year-old’s experience will be missed while acknowledging that other players are more than capable of filling the gap.
“It’s a big blow, we know that Grant has had the experience for years now, he helped us a lot. We will miss him,” Cupido said.
“We have [Khulumani] Ndamane, who’s a very good player. [Kegan] Johannes is also there. So we feel like they can fill Grant’s shoes, but, leading into that, they’ll need my help because they’re not that experienced at that stage of the Champions League.
“But we’ve been doing well and rotating the centre-backs, each one of us got the opportunity, and I think we took it with both hands. Now there’s another opportunity for one of them to fill the spot.”
RELATED STORY: Mamelodi Sundowns confirm Keanu Cupido’s signing