Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana is confident that they will put an end to their three-game losing streak when they host Orlando Pirates in an Absa Premiership encounter tonight.

Masandawana were condemned to a first-round exit from the Telkom Knockout at the hands of Chippa United. However, Sundowns skipper Kekana belives that they will come good.

“It is always challenging to lose, especially for a team like Sundowns,” he told the club’s official website.

“But at the same time, a team like Mamelodi Sundowns is full of internationals. They know their responsibilities in the team.

“We have to make sure that we represent the team well. We have a responsibility to ensure that the team is always on top for the benefit of everyone.

“I am quite confident that with the internationals we have here, we will bounce back.

Sundowns find themselves in this position after a hectic schedule that has taken its toll on the players. Sundowns haven’t had a break in the last three years, something no other club in the country has ever experienced.

The Bafana Bafana midfielder highlighted the change in personnel and fatigue as the biggest attributes behind his team’s form.

“I wouldn’t say that much has changed,” Kekana said.

“It’s only the personnel that has changed because if you look at the team that won the league two years ago, some of the guys who were there are no longer here.

“But not much has changed in terms of how we play, if you looked at the games that we have played. We just need to make sure that we start winning matches to gain confidence because it is a mental thing.

“You win a match and there is more belief in what you can do. You explore more things and play with a little bit of creativity. If you look at the way we are playing at the moment, you can see that we are still trying to gel well and make sure that we score goals.

“I still say that if we defend well, we stand a chance of winning,” he concluded.

Photo: Muzi Ntombela/Backpagepix

-This story originally appeared on SportsClub.co.za