Kekana Insists Pirates’ Rivalry Has Evolved Into Tactical Battle
Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana believes the rivalry between his side and Orlando Pirates has evolved into a tactical battle as the two teams prepare to clash in Saturday’s MTN8 final.
The Brazilians will face the Buccaneers at Moses Mabhida Stadium, with both sides eager to claim the first major trophy of the season.
Sundowns and Pirates have regularly competed at the highest level of South African football, particularly in the race for domestic honours. While Sundowns have dominated the league in recent years, Pirates’ growing success has added another dimension to an increasingly competitive rivalry.
Pirates also ended Sundowns’ MTN8 campaign last season after the two sides played out 1-1 draws in both legs of their semi-final before the Buccaneers progressed on penalties.
However, Kekana believes Saturday’s final will be decided more by tactical execution than by physicality, highlighting how much the game has evolved.
“I think the brotherhood has helped us a lot in terms of understanding each other, even as rivals,” Kekana said.
“Football has evolved. I think even when I arrived at Sundowns, it was always just a battle.
“Right now, it’s about who can get it right tactically. So, it’s going to be another one of those games.
“We just hope it’s going to be an enjoyable one for the neutrals, especially our supporters.
“We’re going to leave everything on the field, even if it has to be a piece of our skin.”
The 33-year-old insists Sundowns are not approaching the final as an opportunity for revenge after Pirates eliminated them from the competition last season.
Instead, Kekana says the focus is on improving on last season’s performance and maintaining the strong start they have made to the current campaign.
“I think it’s not too personal. We don’t like to personalise games. It’s more about us doing better than we did last season,” he added.
“We’ve had such a good start to the season, and we just want to maintain that momentum because we’re highly motivated and positive.
“As you can see, a lot of players have been getting opportunities, so I think everyone is not far off the pace.
“It’s just about implementing what we know to get a positive result this weekend.”
