Keagan ’The Fixer’ Buchanan has became a firm favourite among DStv Premiership fans

HIS thousands of followers on social media are not just football fans, but love Keagan Buchanan’s taste for finer things in life.

The AmaZulu midfielder’s recent freak goal from a corner kick actually matched his character off-the-field. It is a rare achievement in professional football, let alone in the Premiership as he scored the equaliser directly from a corner in his team’s 2-2 draw with Stellenbosch FC at Danie Craven Stadium last weekend.

Scoring directly from a corner is something that only a few players pull off in their careers. Buchanan’s goal was aided by the windy conditions and being a native of Cape Town himself, he attributed his goal to his familiarity with the conditions in the Western Cape.

“Being from Cape Town, I am familiar with the windy conditions. My target was to get the ball towards the Stellies goalie and towards the goals. If Andre (de Jong) attacked it, it would have been a goal but the keeper also missed the ball and fortunately for me, it went in. I also saw in the first half how some Stellenbosch players manipulated the wind and used it to their advantage. I was lucky that I got it on target and it went in,” said Buchanan.

Known as “The Fixer” by his social media followers, Buchanan is an interesting figure in South African football. He has a following of over 40 000 and this number surpasses that of several PSL clubs.

“The first person to call me the Fixer was Kamohelo Mokotjo actually. What they mean to say is that if they give me the ball, I will fix the problem. It stemmed from there and people started calling me that. It caught on via social media and everyone took to it so I started calling myself that,” said Buchanan.

Buchanan’s social media popularity is influenced by his activities off the field rather than on it. Off the field, he is someone who has a love for cars and fashion which is a recipe for success in terms of attracting a big following on social media these days.

“Over the years people take a liking to the way you play and what you do on and off the field. I’m trying to set an example to the young players who look up to me. It’s also a good way to make extra money off the field if you do it the right way. At the College at AmaZulu, we learnt about the importance of building a brand. Having a following is a blessing which can also be a curse. If you live a good life and do things the right way, it can only benefit you,” he said.

Buchanan does not, however, consider himself to be “flashy”.

“I don’t think I’m a flashy player. I have an interest in fashion and the lifestyle side. I’m a strong believer and Christian, and that is also something I display on social media. My faith has got me through everything. I don’t agree that I’m flashy but I have a liking for fashion,” said Buchanan.

While Buchanan can be one of the most destructive attacking forces in the league when on form, his career has so far not fully gone according to expectations and he has had bad luck with injuries. Despite his natural talent and ability to pick out a good pass, he is yet to play for Bafana Bafana. Given Buchanan’s age and the fact that Bafana coach Hugo Broos prefers to utilise younger players, it may take a big effort from him to change that.

“With the injuries, there are always discussions about what may have happened if you did not get injured. I can’t live in the past and just need to accept what happened. When it happened. I just had to keep pushing and believing in my ability,” said Buchanan.

He made his mark at Bloemfontein Celtic which set the platform for him to become one of the best players in the league. He earned a bigmoney move to Kaizer Chiefs which did not go according to plan. After a resurgence at Maritzburg United, he now finds himself at AmaZulu whose business tycoon owner Sandile Zungu is on a long-term project to transform the club into the best in SA.

He believes that he is now at the best place at the right time.

“AmaZulu is the perfect place for me at my age to add further goals, assists and also contribute with the defensive side of my game. It’s the first team that suits the all-around style of my game. I never gave up and just try to play like it’s my last game. Being at AmaZulu is a perfect platform for me especially with the team in the Caf Champions League,” said Buchanan.