Grant Kekana brushes off Bafana snub to focus on CAF clash

Mamelodi Sundowns mainstay Grant Kekana has played down his recent omission from the Bafana Bafana squad, insisting his immediate priority remains propelling Masandawana deeper into the CAF Champions League.

🚨𝙂 𝘼 𝙈 𝙀 𝘿 𝘼 𝙔🚨

🆚 Stade Malien
⏰ 20H00
🏟 Loftus Versfeld
📺 SS 204 & SABC 3#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #AreyengMasandawana pic.twitter.com/C2cXMUdfM7

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) March 13, 2026

The 31-year-old defender was a notable absentee from Hugo Broos’ preliminary squad for the upcoming friendlies against Panama. Despite a season hampered by injury, Kekana has been a model of consistency at the heart of the Sundowns backline, yet he finds himself on the periphery of the national setup as Bafana begins its final preparations for the June World Cup qualifiers.

Club Over Country (For Now) For Grant Kekana

Speaking ahead of tonight’s quarter-final showdown at Loftus Versfeld, Grant Kekana remained diplomatic about his exclusion, choosing to focus on the professional platform that earned him international recognition in the first place.

“I think my primary focus is definitely Mamelodi Sundowns; they are the ones who give me a platform to get selected for the national team,” Kekana noted during the pre-match press conference. “Right now, my focus is at my club.”

Sundowns face a formidable task tonight as they host Malian heavyweights Stade Malien in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. With the pressure of continental expectations mounting, Kekana believes the squad’s current form provides the perfect springboard for a positive result.

“As players, I think we are in good spirits; I think we have been on a good run, so the confidence is high,” the defender explained. “We know the stakes are high, especially going into this stage; we know what is expected.”

Chasing the Continental Edge

The Pretoria giants are desperate to secure a convincing home victory tonight to avoid a nervous trip to Bamako for the return leg next week. For Kekana, the match represents an opportunity to remind the national selectors of his quality on the grandest stage in African club football.

“We’ve prepared well, and everyone is going into tomorrow’s game fully focused, knowing what is at stake and what is expected from us,” Kekana concluded.

Grant Kekana reflects on the team’s mindset ahead of our CAF Champions League encounter tonight. 🗣️#Sundowns #TotalEnergiesCAFCL #AreyengMasandawana pic.twitter.com/IwueS1knca

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) March 13, 2026