Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi is of the view that if Hlompho Kekana can win the Fifa Puskas award, it can change the landscape of SA football.
Kekana’s thunderous strike against Cape Town City on August 20 last year has been nominated for the Puskas award along with 10 other stunning efforts.
Kekana got nominated for the award in 2016, which Malaysian striker Mohd Faiz Subri eventually won and will be hoping to go one better this time.
The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony in Zurich on December 17.
“I wish Hlompho could win one of these awards, more especially the Puskas because it is not the first time he gets selected. I wish so because it will also speak volumes to the landscape of the SA game if he can get this award. After all, he has been very instrumental for us,” Mngqithi told the club's media department yesterday.
“The guy works very hard. He is very committed to the game. I don’t know any life that Hlompho Kekana lives except football.
“It will be sad for me if Hlompho does not get such recognition because if you were to look at the goals that he has scored, [they are] goals that are at the same magnitude as the goal that has taken him to this Puskas award [nomination]. I would love Sundowns one day, and The Sky's The Limit [Sundowns' TV show on SuperSport] or whatever show to show the goals that Hlompho has scored over the years.”
Mngqithi also believes that the 35-year-old’s recognition sends a message to other players that if you remain committed, the game will reward you.
“When it comes to our captain, the skipper is one boy who deserves everything that comes his way because he is the true professional,” Mngqithi said.
“We have won many trophies with him, I think 11 of them. He is a machine and he works very hard.
“Others are looking at him, those who are not playing at the moment. They think maybe he reached his sell-by date. But we know what we are doing. We are trying to freshen him up because we know at a certain point in the league he is going to be very important for us.
“When that time comes, he must be very fresh because if you check in the past few seasons, he has been playing almost all the matches.”
Downs skipper will be hoping it's a case of second time lucky
Kekana deserves Puskas award: Manqoba
Image: Samuel Shivambu/Gallo Images/BackpagePix
Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi is of the view that if Hlompho Kekana can win the Fifa Puskas award, it can change the landscape of SA football.
Kekana’s thunderous strike against Cape Town City on August 20 last year has been nominated for the Puskas award along with 10 other stunning efforts.
Kekana got nominated for the award in 2016, which Malaysian striker Mohd Faiz Subri eventually won and will be hoping to go one better this time.
The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony in Zurich on December 17.
“I wish Hlompho could win one of these awards, more especially the Puskas because it is not the first time he gets selected. I wish so because it will also speak volumes to the landscape of the SA game if he can get this award. After all, he has been very instrumental for us,” Mngqithi told the club's media department yesterday.
“The guy works very hard. He is very committed to the game. I don’t know any life that Hlompho Kekana lives except football.
“It will be sad for me if Hlompho does not get such recognition because if you were to look at the goals that he has scored, [they are] goals that are at the same magnitude as the goal that has taken him to this Puskas award [nomination]. I would love Sundowns one day, and The Sky's The Limit [Sundowns' TV show on SuperSport] or whatever show to show the goals that Hlompho has scored over the years.”
Mngqithi also believes that the 35-year-old’s recognition sends a message to other players that if you remain committed, the game will reward you.
“When it comes to our captain, the skipper is one boy who deserves everything that comes his way because he is the true professional,” Mngqithi said.
“We have won many trophies with him, I think 11 of them. He is a machine and he works very hard.
“Others are looking at him, those who are not playing at the moment. They think maybe he reached his sell-by date. But we know what we are doing. We are trying to freshen him up because we know at a certain point in the league he is going to be very important for us.
“When that time comes, he must be very fresh because if you check in the past few seasons, he has been playing almost all the matches.”
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