Cult Hero Keet Calls Time After Nedbank Cup Glory

Darren Keet Hangs Up His Boots After Winning the Nedbank Cup with Durban City

Last night, Durban City were triumphant over TS Galaxy is the Nedbank Cup final. The Nedbank cup is South Africa's premier club knockout tournament, featuring 32 teams, and over the years it has allowed lower league teams to compete against the bigger clubs. This season was no different, as the final consisted of two mid-table South African PSL clubs.

Durban City.. your 2026 Nedbank Cup Champions! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qo8dXBtayr

— Michael Morton (@MMORTON6) May 2, 2026

After Durban City's victory, veteran goalkeeper Darren Keet announced his retirement at 36-years old. In a career spanning over two decades, Keet played in Belgium and South Africa. At 21-years old, the goalkeeper swapped Bidvest Wits for Belgian outlet KV Kortrijk. His success in Belgium led to his first national team call up in 2013, Keet would go on to make 13 appearances for Bafana. His best performance for South Africa came in 2019 against Egypt. After the game, commentators hailed him as "ikati lomlungu", which translates as the white cat, owing to his heroic displays between the sticks. South Africa won the game 2-1, and Keet made over 7 saves, denying Mohamed Salah and the Pharoahs any chance of victory.

After leaving Belgium, Keet returned to the Wits, before going back to Belgium to play for OH Leuven. After a spell at Cape Town City for 4-years, Keet finished his career at Durban City this season.

Darren “Popeye” Keet announces his retirement from professional football after winning the Nedbank Cup. 🏆

What a way to go! pic.twitter.com/sr2maSYvI0

— Michael Morton (@MMORTON6) May 2, 2026

Nicknamed “Popeye”, this nickname reportedly goes all the way back to childhood. Later on his life, friends linked it to his animated personality and resemblance to the cartoon character. Either way, the name stuck, and “Popeye” became part of the cult-hero identity Keet carried throughout his career.

Keet’s international career unfolded in the same era as Ithumeleng Khune, who, before Ronwen Williams’ rise, was widely regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers South Africa had ever produced. In another generation, Keet may well have earned far more caps for Bafana. Yet even in the final chapter of his career, his quality remained clear, with eight clean sheets this season underlining the consistency and class that defined him until the very end.

Happy Retirement Popeye! pic.twitter.com/r46IFMCEWH

— Arthur (@arthurturner03) May 3, 2026