Kekana’s unforgettable 2016

2016 has been quite the year for Mamelodi Sundowns’ Hlompho Kekana. After a 2015/16 domestic title triumph in May, the South African midfielder was trusted with the club captaincy in August after the departure of former team-mate Ramahlwe Mphahlele.

Since donning the armband for Sundowns, more titles and accolades have followed for the midfield workhorse. Kekana guided Masandawana to their first CAF Champions League trophy in October before making the FIFA Puskas Award’s ten-person shortlist just last month, after scoring from his own half for Bafana Bafana against Cameroon back in March.
Kekana’s memorable year concluded with the 31-year-old travelling to Japan for the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, captaining the first South African side to take part in the competition.
“2016 has been a good year for us as a team and personally I’d say that it’s a year I’ll never forget,” Kekana told FIFA. “We have been excited with our achievements this year. Lifting the Champions League was huge and then to be playing at the Club World Cup was an even bigger step for us as a team. Competing at that level is always special, every player in the world wants to take part in the Club World Cup.
“It inspires me a lot to captain a team like this," he continued. "Mamelodi Sundowns are an ambitious team and we work hard on and off the field. I’m very privileged to work with this group. I think we are making our own little bit of history and it’s important to keep working, grinding and looking for more and more.