Kekana says Sundowns’ Intercontinental Cup win can drive them past Pirates in MTN8 final

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana believes the club’s victory over Al-Ahli Saudi in the African Asian Pacific Cup of the Fifa Intercontinental Cup can provide added motivation for Saturday’s MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates.

The final will be played at Moses Mabhida Stadium, with kick-off at 6pm, as Sundowns attempt to win their first domestic cup trophy since 2021.

Sundowns entered the international break with their first title of the season secured, and Kekana says that success has strengthened their belief ahead of the meeting with the Buccaneers.

“At Mamelodi Sundowns we don’t play competitions to compete; we play them to dominate. Last season, we were unfortunate not to get anything locally, but with this campaign, we have given ourselves a chance, especially at the start of the term,” Kekana told the media on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old said the squad was determined to end its wait for silverware in the competition and would approach the decider with an aggressive mindset.

“We are still adjusting to get a local trophy, so we are highly motivated, and I think the lads are just eager and ready to go,” he added.

Sundowns have fallen short in previous MTN8 campaigns, while Orlando Pirates have won their last two finals against them. Kekana said the recent result against Al-Ahli Saudi should help the team impose itself this time.

“I think it’s very important, obviously, to go into this game highly motivated because of how we won against Al Ahli Saudi. It’s going to be important for us to assert ourselves; we’ve fallen short quite a few times in this competition.”

Despite the history between the sides, Kekana played down the idea of the final being a personal contest. He said Sundowns’ focus was on building on their positive start to the campaign rather than seeking individual revenge.

“We don’t like personalising games. It’s more about us doing better than we did last season, and I think we had a great start this time,” he said.

“We just want to keep that momentum because we are highly motivated, and we are all positive.”

The defender also pointed to the opportunities being given to players within the squad, saying the team’s priority was to carry out its plan effectively against Pirates.

“As you can see, a lot of players have been getting a chance, and it’s just about us implementing what we know so that we get a positive result at the weekend.”

Sundowns and Pirates players have also recently formed a large part of the Bafana Bafana squad. Kekana said the relationships developed while representing the national team had helped the players understand one another, even though they will be opponents on Saturday.

He hopes the final will produce an entertaining contest for those watching, while insisting Sundowns will commit fully to the occasion.

“We just hope it will be an enjoyable one for the neutrals, and especially for our supporters. We are going to leave everything on the field even if it’s a piece of our skin.”