Grant Kekana says Mamelodi Sundowns are not panicking over set-piece goals

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana says the club are not allowing their early-season problems from set-pieces to cause alarm, despite conceding five goals in their opening three matches.

Three of those goals have come in the Betway Premiership, while the other two were conceded in the MTN8. Defensive uncertainty at dead-ball situations has been a notable feature of Sundowns’ start to the campaign.

Kekana accepts that conceding goals is frustrating for a team that expects to defend strongly, but believes Sundowns have also been unfortunate in the way some of the goals have been allowed.

The defender also acknowledged that lapses in concentration may have contributed to the problems. However, he said the squad are already working to improve their organisation when defending set-pieces and remain confident they can become more reliable in the matches ahead.

“Obviously, we don’t like conceding as defenders. Set-pieces should be something that we enjoy defending. We’ve just been unfortunate this season,” said Kekana.

“Maybe a lapse of concentration here and there, but it’s something that we’re still working on now.

“We obviously want to get better, but I don’t think it’s something that’s making us panic in any way. It’s just about us improving how we deal with set-pieces.”

Kekana’s comments come with Sundowns preparing for their next league fixture against Marumo Gallants on Wednesday night.

The match will be played at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30. Sundowns will be seeking a stronger defensive performance as they continue their campaign across the Betway Premiership and MTN8.

The five goals conceded in three matches have highlighted areas for improvement, but Kekana’s assessment suggests the club view the issue as one that can be corrected through continued work rather than a crisis requiring major changes.

For Sundowns’ defenders, set-pieces are an area in which they expect to be effective. Kekana said the team’s focus is therefore on removing the lapses that have contributed to the goals and improving the way they respond to deliveries into the penalty area.

He maintained that the squad’s approach remains calm, with the emphasis on learning from the early setbacks and tightening their defensive play in the fixtures that follow.

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