Keet: What I Told Kortrijk About Mailula

Image via KV Kortrijk Facebook

After spending five years at Belgian club Kortrijk, Durban City goalkeeper Darren Keet has offered advice to Cassius Mailula, who is at the same club, on how to be integrated quickly.

Mailula joined Kortrijk on loan at the beginning of the season and struggled for game time until he only made his debut this past Sunday, coming off the bench for the last 31 minutes, in a 2-0 defeat to RFC Luttich.

Read: Mbokazi To Join Top Ten DDC Graduates Overseas?

Keet, who played for the same club when they were in the top flight between 2011 and 2016, says he’s following De Kerels’ bid to return to the Belgian Pro League very closely.

“I’m still following them, the progress, I’m watching closely, it’s a tight race, one of the players I played with at Kortrijk (Mohamed Messoudi) is actually the coach at challengers (for promotion), Beerschot,” Keet said, speaking exclusively to Soccer Laduma.

“I spoke to them and they did say obviously it took him (Mailula) some time to adapt and get used to everything. At the moment he’s been doing well and I said hopefully by January he will be able to show his worth and to put on the performances we know he can give.

“It’s a very tough, very physical (league). Everyone is fighting to get to the top league. It would be slightly tougher than what he (Mailula) experienced with the MLS when he was at Toronto, that’s why he needs time to adapt and get into it,” Keet said.

The veteran shot-stopper also gave the Bafana Bafana striker advice on how to settle quickly in the ‘close-knit’ Kortrijk community.

“Off the field (my advice is), be friendly, they are a very football loving community, they are very family-oriented. When you’re part of the club they love you, when they see you in the street and stuff,” the former Cape Town City and Bidvest Wits shot-stopper said.

Read: Pitso: Players’ Second Careers Matter More Than Trophies

“They always enjoy people who greet them and have a little conversation. So ja, my advice to him off the field, is just to try to connect with the people and at least get them to know him and about him, then they’ll end up supporting him longer.

“I think it works both ways, as much as the fans want you to do well on the field, they also want you to be a decent human, greet them in the street when they greet you, that’s important to them. It’s a very family-oriented city and a family-like club, everyone is closely knit in that community. That’s what they enjoy,” Keet added.

Kortrijk are currently second in the Challenger Pro League (second division) standings.

Related tags