JOHANNESBURG – Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Darren Keet is preparing to embark on the next chapter of his football career after confirming he will be taking up a coaching role in Canada following his retirement from professional football.
Keet, who announced his retirement at the end of last season despite still having a year remaining on his contract with Durban City, revealed the news in an exclusive interview with The African Chronicle.
“I’m still retired at the moment. I’ve got a good opportunity in coaching. We’re just sorting out the final details, mainly the visas. Once that’s done, we’ll be on our way,” Keet said.
The 36-year-old will join a youth academy in Canada, where he says the long-term vision extends beyond coaching and could open new pathways for young footballers in both countries.
“It’s a youth academy, and part of the plan is to build a connection between South Africa and Canada. We want to establish working relationships with clubs in South Africa, identify talented players and bring them over to Canada, and hopefully create opportunities in both directions,” he explained.
Contractual Obligations
Although Keet remains under contract with Durban City, he said the agreement does not prevent him from pursuing a coaching career.
“It’s true that I’m still contracted to Durban City, but as long as I don’t play professional football, it’s not an issue. I spoke to the chairman before the end of the season because they wanted me to stay. They still hold my playing contract, so I can’t play for another club unless I return to Durban City, but coaching is different.
“At the moment we’re just waiting for the visas. They’ve been delayed because of the World Cup, but once everything is finalised, we’ll head over.”
READ MORE: Former Pirates Midfielder Appointed Caps United Coach In Zimbabwe
Keet brought the curtain down on his playing career in memorable fashion, captaining Durban City to a 2-1 victory over TS Galaxy in the 2025/26 Nedbank Cup final at Peter Mokaba Stadium. The triumph secured the club’s first major trophy and provided a fitting ending to a distinguished career.
The victory also carried special significance for Keet. His first major honour came in the same competition in 2010, when Bidvest Wits defeated AmaZulu 3-0 at the official opening of FNB Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
A Decorated Career
“Nedbank Cup was my first and Nedbank Cup is my last,” Keet reflected after the final.
Having joined Durban City following the club’s promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship, Keet made 33 appearances in all competitions during his final season, including 26 Betway Premiership matches in which he kept 12 clean sheets. He retired after making 435 senior appearances across an accomplished professional career.
His journey began in Cape Town, where he developed through the Ajax Cape Town youth system and played amateur football for Edgemead Goodwood and Bothasig before progressing through Santos’ reserve team and Vasco da Gama.
A move to Bidvest Wits established him as one of South Africa’s top goalkeepers. Across two spells with the Johannesburg club, he made 139 appearances and helped the Students win the Premiership title in 2016/17, as well as the Nedbank Cup, MTN8 and Carling Knockout.
READ MORE: Tanzanian Giants Yanga and Simba Circle Free Agent Peter Shalulile
Keet also enjoyed a successful spell in Belgium, making 142 appearances for KV Kortrijk and another 10 for OH Leuven, before returning to South Africa to play for Cape United, Cape Town City and eventually Durban City.
On the international stage, he earned 13 caps for Bafana Bafana after making his senior debut against Zimbabwe at Orlando Stadium in September 2013.
Keet has previously said that spending long periods away from his wife and children, who remained in Cape Town while he played in Durban, played a significant role in his decision to retire.
Now, after nearly two decades between the posts, Keet is preparing to pass on his experience from the touchline, with ambitions of helping develop the next generation of football talent while strengthening ties between South African and Canadian football.
