Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana has sung the praises of his coach Rulani Mokwena, saying he has become more than just a coach to the team.
Mokwena has set the bar very high with his team in South African football. Sundowns play fluid football and dominates in every sphere of the game in local fixtures.
Kekana is in his third season working under Mokwena, having joined the club in July 2021 from SuperSport United.
Speaking to Sunday World, Kekana, who was on the bench when Downs smashed Tshwane rivals SuperSport on Wednesday, said Mokwena plays a pivotal role in the players on and off the field.
“He is more than just a coach to us. He is a top-level human being and like a big brother to us,” Kekana said.
“He is someone that you can always talk to and rely on. He is always open to assisting in any way and that talks a lot about his humility as a person.
“We learn so much from those things as players to also give back, not just on the field but also off the field. He also knows how to strike a balance on how he treats us on and off the field. This is something that brings us closer to him; that is why we always go the extra mile when playing.
TP Mazembe fixture
“He and his technical team work hard before and during games, which makes it easy for us whenever we go into games well prepared. So, we are just fortunate to be led by a coach of his calibre.”
Having recovered from his hamstring injury, Kekana will be hoping to get minutes in the CAF Champions League. On Saturday, the Brazilians are away to TP Mazembe of the DR Congo for their second Group A fixture.
Kick-off in Lubumbashi is at 3pm.
