Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana has admitted that it pains him that Downs have lost important players to rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

Over the past two-and-a-half seasons Chiefs have made a habit of snatching up some of the Brazilians’ stars in the form of defender Ramahlwe Mphahlele, striker Leonardo Castro and more recently Khama Billiat.

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Chiefs have also had former Downs left-back Mzikayise Mashaba training with them for the past week‚ as the club assess him with a view of offering him a contract.

Fans across social media have begun to call Amakhosi ‘Sundowns Lite’ and when Kekana was asked about this new nickname in the build-up to their opening league game against the Soweto Giants, the Downs captain chuckled and then revealed that he still has a soft spot for his former teammates.

‘We’ve lost so many important players to Chiefs that it always pains me‚ because at times I even forget that they’re no longer my teammates.

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‘I still hug them‚ I still talk to them. But on the day I need to be professional and stick to the basics.

‘So, I need to really take this soft spot that I have for them‚ and try to be mean on the day,’ he concluded.

Sundowns get their title defence underway on Saturday afternoon when they face a fired up Chiefs side at Loftus Versveld, with kickoff scheduled for 3pm.

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