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Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns have appointed South Africa international midfielder Hlompho Kekana as their captain ahead of the 2016/17 upcoming Premiership season.
The Chloorkop-based outfit were crowned victors of the 2016 Dr Hage Geingob Cup for a record third time this weekend, with Kekana subsequently being selected as the man to take over from former skipper Ramahlwe Mphahlele - who has moved to Kaizer Chiefs.
"Being appointed captain of Mamelodi Sundowns is just a title bestowed on me, as the team is made up of many good leaders who will be surrounding me, who I would want to lead any time," he told the club's official website.
"What is important is how you respond, as I know that I will be working with professionals and we all have a common goal - to win trophies for Mamelodi Sundowns."
The 31-year-old has been in-fine form for Masandawana over the past two seasons and will lead the side in their quest for CAF Champions League gold this term.
"It will be a massive experience for me and will require of me to be level-headed and always be the best I can be and work with my team-mates for the success of the club," he added.
With the likes of Denis Onyango, Thabo Nthethe, Wayne Arendse and Teko Modise boasting the necessary qualities and credentials to lead the team, Kekana revealed that his appointment came as a surprise to him.
"I really did not see this coming. I know that I am an emotional player and have invested my soul in football. I always want to win and this is the spirit in the rest of the team. I have done much behind the scenes in terms of leadership," he explained.
"As individuals, we might have differing opinions about issues, but in the end our common goal as players dictates what we need to do, and we are looking at challenging for trophies. Our goal right now is to win the CAF Champions League."
