logo
Amajita hero Kekana praises teamwork for goal that won SA the U-20 Afcon

Amajita hero Kekana praises teamwork for goal that won SA the U-20 Afcon

The Herald27-05-2025
Amajita's U-20 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final hero Gomolemo Kekana, 18, is in no rush to play top-flight football, insisting he's still developing.
He said his focus is on trying to return to his best shape after a long layoff last year.
Kekana is on the books of Mamelodi Sundowns' DStv Diski Challenge team and has trained with the senior Brazilians on a few occasions. He engraved his name in South African football folklore by scoring the goal that saw Amajita beat Morocco 1-0 in the U-20 Afcon final in Cairo this month.
'God's timing is forever perfect, so I won't rush the process,' Kekana said. 'I am trusting the process without putting pressure on myself to say now I must play for the first team.
'I will continue to work hard and it's up to the coaches to decide whether to promote me. I am not in a rush. I've come from a long-term injury last year, so my focus is to accumulate as many minutes as I can to return to my best shape.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PSL Awards: Orlando Pirates star named the best goalkeeper
PSL Awards: Orlando Pirates star named the best goalkeeper

The South African

timea minute ago

  • The South African

PSL Awards: Orlando Pirates star named the best goalkeeper

Orlando Pirates star goalkeeper Sipho Chaine has walked away with the Goalkeeper of the Season award. Chaine was nominated alongside Ronwen Williams of Mamelodi Sundowns and Elvis Chipezeze of Magesi FC. And in the end, it was the Bucs goalkeeper who proved to have done enough to win the accolades at the PSL Awards on Tuesday. Chaine featured in 25 Betway Premiership matches for Pirates last season, kept 11 cleansheets and conceded just 18. Williams, on the other hand, played just 16 league games for Sundowns, kept 11 cleansheets and conceded just six goals. And despite being tied on the same number of cleansheets with Chaine, the number of games he played disadvantaged him. Chipezeze, who had a fantastic season with 26 league matches under his belt, was let down by the number of goals he conceded (28) despite keeping 10 cleansheets. Nonetheless, he was also one of the winners in the Carling Knockout Player of the Tournament category where he was nominated alongside teammate Edmore Chirambadare and Iqraam Rayners of Sundowns. Chipezeze beaten by Orlando Pirates 'keeper Sipho Chaine for Goalkeeper of the Season award. Image: Archived Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Sundowns news: Irqaam Rayners and Lucas Ribeiro
Sundowns news: Irqaam Rayners and Lucas Ribeiro

The South African

timean hour ago

  • The South African

Sundowns news: Irqaam Rayners and Lucas Ribeiro

Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana star Iqraam Rayners hasn't held back in voicing his frustration over the Premier Soccer League's Footballer of the Season nominees. The 29-year-old from Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, believes the selection was unfair, especially given his impressive stats — ranking second in combined goals and assists. Yet, the PSL chose Lucas Ribeiro, Sekhukhune United's Keletso Makgalwa, and Orlando Pirates' Relebohile Mofekeng ahead of him. With 22 goals and nine assists in the Betway Premiership, CAF Champions League, Carling Knockout, MTN8, and Nedbank Cup, Rayners was second best behind Lucas Ribeiro, who had 20 goals and 14 assists in the same competitions. However, the PSL's Footballer of the Season nominees listed Ribeiro, Keletso Makgalwa (six goals and 11 assists) and Relebohile Mofokeng (12 goals and 15 assists)… Full story here. Mamelodi Sundowns fans likely saw this coming — Lucas Ribeiro could be on his way out of the Betway Premiership just days before the new season kicks off. Mamelodi Sundowns haven't parted with a marquee player since Percy Tau's move to Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2018. But after a standout season with 21 goals and 14 assists — including the winning strike at the FIFA Club World Cup — Lucas Ribeiro has attracted serious interest. According to recent reports, the 26-year-old Brazilian has left Sundowns' preseason camp in Rustenburg as he prepares for a potential exit… Full story here. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Rayners could lead Sundowns' charge for long awaited Caf glory
Rayners could lead Sundowns' charge for long awaited Caf glory

IOL News

time5 hours ago

  • IOL News

Rayners could lead Sundowns' charge for long awaited Caf glory

Iqraam Rayners of Mamelodi Sundowns. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Mamelodi Sundowns will begin their MTN8 journey with a home fixture against Richards Bay FC at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday evening (18:00 kick-off), as they look to end a surprisingly long wait for domestic cup success. While the Tshwane giants have continued to assert themselves as kings of the Betway Premiership—securing a seventh successive league title—they've found cup competitions less forgiving in recent seasons. Their hunger to conquer African football has grown, but at home, they've had to settle for near misses. That's why lifting the MTN8 is expected to feature high on their to-do list this season. Their last domestic triumph came in this very competition in 2021/22, and by their high standards, that feels like a drought. The Brazilians bowed out in disappointing fashion in last year's MTN8, falling to Stellenbosch FC in both legs of the semi-final by a 1-0 scoreline. Since winning the MTN8 in 2021/22, however, they've added to their continental pedigree by winning the inaugural African Football League and retaining their league crown with relative ease. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The last time they reached a domestic final was their 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup of the 2023/24 season—another reminder that despite their league dominance, cup glory continues to elude them. Heading into his first full season in charge, head coach Miguel Cardoso will be eager to make an early statement by guiding the Chloorkop-based side to MTN8 glory. Much of that ambition will rest on the shoulders of in-form striker Iqraam Rayners. The Bafana Bafana forward made a seamless transition into the Sundowns setup after joining from Stellenbosch FC, and was one of the standout performers last season. Between league and cup competitions, Rayners bagged 24 goals and chipped in with nine assists. Alongside Brazilian star Lucas Ribeiro Costa, the pair gave opposing defences plenty to think about. Despite his prolific form, Rayners was surprisingly overlooked for the Premier Soccer League's Footballer of the Season award—a snub that didn't sit well with many observers. Still, the 29-year-old remains upbeat and focused. 'A lot of people did not believe in me, but I obviously believe in myself and the coaches and the players,' Rayners told the club's podcast. 'My first season I was happy to be at the club and doing my best.' While disappointed after seeing the list of nominees, Rayners took it in stride. 'I was a bit disappointed because I had a good season last season with a good team and good players and coaches believed in me. I was disappointed when I saw the players that were nominated.' With talk swirling around Ribeiro's potential departure, the timing could be right for Rayners to further stake his claim as a key figure for both Sundowns and Bafana Bafana. The upcoming MTN8 could serve as his personal and team platform to deliver silverware and silence any lingering doubt. More than that, the tournament serves as a pre-season springboard—an opportunity to kickstart the campaign in fine fashion and dominate not only the league but every front.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store