Mamelodi Sundowns centre-back Khulumani Ndamane says the absence of Grant Kekana from their CAF Champions League semi-final second leg is a painful fact, however he trusts in his other teammates to do the job against ES Tunis.
Kekana will miss the second leg in Pretoria after he was given marching orders in the first leg away in Tunisia last weekend. Ndamane was a late substitute in that game after the red card and helped Sundowns protect their away goal and could start at center-back in the deciding leg.
The 22-year-old told reporters that though he believes in his own abilities and can step up, it’s not license for him to be happy for a teammates’ misfortunes.
“Grant’s absence hurts a lot,” said Ndamane.
“Just like you saw in the game he has experience but because there are other players, we’ll work together and see what we can do.
“I can say that I can step up in his absence but that doesn’t mean I should be happy when something unfortunate happens to him, like the red card now and be happy that I’ll benefit. I’ll get in when it’s my turn and help the team.”
A win for Sundowns against Miguel Cardoso’s former side will see them in the final for a second time in two seasons. The former TS Galaxy defender says he and teammates are approaching the game like it’s a fresh one.
“For us it’s like this is still the first half because anything can still happen in the second leg,” added Ndamane.
“We just need to focus and win the game and progress. I’m happy to be playing Champions League football because these are the kind of moments I’ve been dreaming of since I was a kid.”
