HE is 35 and has won a whopping seven Premiership titles.
But Hlompho Kekana is not done yet.
The Mamelodi Sundowns treble-winning captain goes on a two-pronged mission next season.
First, he wants to break the stereotype that players over 30 are past their sell-by date.
And second, he wants to win the league without the drama of last season.
“There are many things that I need to prove to myself and one of them is to break the stereotype that once you reach 31, you are considered a madala,” said Kekana.
“I know what it means to footballers whose careers are cut short because of age. When I look overseas there are players who go until 40. But here at home, it is sad to see players being overlooked due to age.
“However, I still need to put in a lot of work in order for me to achieve what I want to achieve. But I’m ready for the challenge and I’m ready to make sure I keep breaking the boundaries.”
Kekana has also echoed the words of former Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, when City won the English Premiership in the dying minutes of the fierce title race against rivals Manchester United.
It was a similarly dramatic end for Sundowns as they snatched the title from right under Kaizer Chiefs’ noses two weeks ago, leading to anxious moments for Kekana and his teammates.
“As you’d have noticed, we often start slowly in the league and pick up momentum as the season goes.
“That does put pressure especially when we also have to travel the continent for Champions League fixtures,” explained Kekana.
“But please, we don’t want to go through what we went through again. Next season we have to make sure we win matches and pick up points early.
“Yes, the league race was nerve-wracking and one does get anxious. But we don’t want to win it that way again. Next season it’ll be different.”
