Mamelodi Sundowns' Hlompho Kekana has revealed he respects Orlando Pirates even more now after everything the Brazilians went through in their CAF Champions League final.
In an exclusive interview with Soccer Laduma, the Sundowns captain shared his experience in Cairo, before the team walked in to the stadium on the night that they were crowned CAF Champions League winners.
"I don't want to lie to you, if you are not mentally strong, forget about winning anything on the continent. To say 'kunzima' (it is tough) is an understatement! It is almost impossible and, like I said, I respect Pirates even more," he said.
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"Those guys ngamadoda okwenene and angangihlalisa phantsi angithethise (are real men and they can sit me down and guide me), and I will listen. In these games, you will never know how strong you are until you come across the kinds of situations we were exposed to.
"When you make it through them, you look back and wonder how you made it. That's when you realise just how strong you are as a person or group.
"After what we went through, I don't think anything can break us apart."
To read the full exclusive interview with Kekana, check out this week's edition of Soccer Laduma, issue number 996.
