FORMER Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Hlompho Kekana says when he's back home in the village, he enjoys breeding goats.
He said that he loves his animals, including his chickens.
Kekana speaks fondly about life in the village, adding that he takes pride in the values and teachings he received while growing up.
The former Bafana Bafana midfielder said that growing up in the village shaped his life, insisting that he will never change his attitude toward the people who helped raise him.
"I don't regard myself as a star. I'm Rose Kekana's son," he said.
Kekana, originally from Zebediela in Limpopo, said that he still follows Sundowns and loves "Kabo Yellow", ma-Sundawana.
"The life in the villages is laid back, and there's a spirit of ubuntu. You can do anything without any pressure from social media," he said.
Kekana, who is now a brand ambassador for Mamelodi Sundowns, said that soccer was his first love in the village and that kids in his village still play the sport.
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"I started early to dream of playing soccer, of course, with the 1996 Bafana Bafana idols who won the Africa Cup of Nations. I didn't have a certain individual player as a role model in that dream of players from yesteryear, but the whole team were my idols," he said.
He said that in 1996, he was just a 10-year-old boy in the village, already dreaming of playing soccer at the highest level one day.
Kekana achieved his childhood dream. He not only played for Sundowns but also captained the star-studded team.
The gifted midfielder also earned many caps in Bafana team.
He mentioned that former Sundowns midfielder Alex Bapela, who is from his village, inspired him and gave him confidence whenever they met
Kekana said that he loves pap and masonja, adding that he used to eat them even during his playing days because they're rich in protein.
