Kennedy Mweene – the PSL Legend

Kennedy Mweene played a backup role at Mamelodi Sundowns over the years but there is no doubting the impact the Zambian goalkeeper has had on the game in South Africa.

Mweene is settling into his new coaching role at Sundowns, having announced his retirement after 17 seasons in the Premier Soccer League where he brought distinction to both club and country after first arriving in 2005 when signed by Free State Stars.

He already had a runout last season on the coaching bench for the Brazilians and will now move into goalkeeper coaching, staying at the club where has been for almost a decade.

Mweene is a seven-time DStv Premiership champion with Sundowns, even if for much of his time at the club he shared goalkeeping duties with the likes of Dennis Onyango, Reyaad Pieterse, Brimah Razak and Wayne Sandilands.

Often, Mweene was thrust into action after months of not having played but seemed to relish the challenge of staying sharp and produced some miraculous save to enhance his reputation, even in his late 30s.

Later this year he turns 39 and the toil of goalkeeper training on the body means his playing days are over but a new chapter is just starting.

Mweene was already a Zambia international when he moved to South Africa and would go on to be the mainstay of the side that won the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations – his most successful achievement.

He was at Free State Stars for seven seasons before moving to Sundowns in 2013, initially as first choice goalkeeper but then back-up. It was in this role that he was in the team that won the Nedbank Cup in 2022, his only winning cup final appearance at club level.

There were also plenty other distinctions: At Stars, in the 2007-08 season, Mweene equaled the record for the most successive clean sheets in the league, keeping his goal intact for seven successive matches.

He was also a polished penalty taker and finished his career with 317 starts and 12 goals, all from the spot. They were all for Stars.

The secret to Mweene’s success was a tough upbringing, as he explained in an interview several years ago.

“I lost my mom and dad within a few months in the same year when I was seven, and I grew up in tough conditions with my aunt at a police camp in Lusaka. In the camp, you had to have discipline, so much so that I started doing house chores like cooking and washing at that young age. I learned to be responsible.”

It was through football that got his education paid. “At Lusaka Celtic, they paid my school fees and gave me transport money, which I used to buy milk, bread, and sugar for use at home, while also getting my cousins clothes. All of this prepared me for the road that I have walked in my career.”

He made his name at Kitwe United and had an abortive try out with Silver Stars, who rejected him. “They said I was too small because I was so skinny at the time, so I went back.”

It was at the 2005 COSAFA Cup that Free State Stars signed him, having originally sent assistant coach Themba Sithole and the owners’ son Khotso Mokoena to the tournament watch the Malawi keeper Swadick Sanudi.

“For me, getting a salary of R10 000 per month was a lot of money at the time staying in QwaQwa. I played in the First Division, and we won promotion after a season. At Free State I played with Siphiwe Tshabalala, Wilfred Mugeyi, Phumlani Mkhize and the late duo of Arthur Bartman and Adam Ndlovu. I think it was a blessing in disguise that I stayed at the club for eight years as it helped me understand the culture of South Africa properly.” He learnt to speak SeSotho.

Then came the move to Sundowns:

“After the Afcon success, there was a lot of talk about Europe but no offers on the table. A year later Sundowns came. (Free Stars Stars owner) Mike Mokoena called me into the office one morning and told me that Sundowns had sent their proposal and asked if I wanted to leave, to which I said ‘yes’ without wasting any time. The following day I didn’t even train and just left for Johannesburg. I never hesitated in joining Sundowns because I needed to add trophies to my CV, which I have since done.”

He had to adjust there from being automatic first choice to sharing the goalkeeping No 1 jersey.

“I always remained positive because I understood that in goalkeeping, only one can play at a time and when that person is doing well, you need to provide support. At the end of the day, you must continue putting 100 per cent into training because you never know when your chance to play will come. You continue challenging the person who is there so that you train like the guy playing every week. Yes, it is difficult but the players who are strongest mentally are keepers, because we go through a lot of things,” Mweene said.

KENNEDY MWEENE 

Born: 11 December, 1984

Debut: Free State Stars 2 Lamontville Golden Arrows 2 (6 August, 2005)

First goal conceded: Free State Stars 2 Lamontville Golden Arrows 2 (6 August, 2005)

First goal scored: Free State Stars 1 Kaizer Chiefs 4 (9 March, 2008)

Last goal scored: Free State Stars 3 Black Leopards 2 (18 May, 2013)

Honours: Zambian international; 2012 African Nations Cup winner; 2021/22 league champion; 2020/21 league champion; 2019/20 league champion; 2018/19 league champion; 2017/18 league champion; 2015/16 league champion; 2013/14 league champion; 2022 Nedbank Cup winner

Career History:

Year                             Club                             App.     Goals