Keet Explains Durban City Move And Reunion With Hunt
Durban City goalkeeper Darren Keet has explained his move to reunite with coach Gavin Hunt in Durban, a coach who has previously gotten the better of him.
Keet joined Durban City during the off-season after his former club, Cape Town City, was relegated at the end of last season via the PSL promotion/relegation playoffs.
The move marks a reunion for Keet and Hunt, who together won the league title and the MTN8 with the now-defunct Bidvest Wits in the 2016/17 season. That same season, Keet was named the PSL Goalkeeper of the Season after featuring in 27 matches and keeping 14 clean sheets.
Bidvest Wits was the last club to win the league before Mamelodi Sundowns began their dominant run, claiming eight consecutive league titles.
The following season, Wits added another title, winning the Carling Knockout after defeating Bloemfontein Celtic in Durban.
“Towards the end of the season, obviously myself and Cape Town City, we decided to part ways,” said Keet. “The club had signed another goalkeeper already, and you know, I said ‘okay, if it benefits the club then it’s fine.'”
He continued, “I sat around for a few days, waiting to see what was going to happen, and [chairman] Farook Kadodia called me. He asked if I was keen on joining and explained the project they have at hand. He told me who was joining and who they would like to get, and I said, ‘You know what? Sometimes you have to start from nothing again, you have to start from the bottom and work yourself up.’ I thought it was a good challenge.”
Keet added that he is always ready for a challenge. “If you guys know me well enough, you know I’m always ready for the challenge and I invite all challenges. This is a challenge I love to be a part of and so far, it has been brilliant.”
It has indeed been a brilliant season on the pitch for Keet and his newly promoted side. They have won their first two matches, with Keet yet to concede a goal, placing them at the top of the Betway Premiership table with six points.
When Keet joined Durban City, some questioned the age of the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper. However, Hunt defended the signing, stating that Keet is the best goalkeeper in the league at claiming balls in the box.
Keet says those qualities come from his background in other sports. “I mean, when I was younger, I played a lot of sports,” he said. “Baseball, cricket, hockey, golf—everything. All those sports helped me in the long run, and it is something I enjoy. I love the pressure; I love it when the ball comes into the box.”
He concluded, “As goalkeepers, they say, ‘it’s your area and you’ve got to own it,’ and I like to do that. I like to take the challenge on.”
Durban City will be back in action when they host Golden Arrows at Chatsworth Stadium on Tuesday night.
