Khune tears Kaizer Chiefs' players: They aren't footballers

Kaizer Chiefs have been struggling to replicate the early-season form that saw them win without conceding.

The Glamour Boys have lost their last four games in a row across all competitions, and five in the last six. They are now out of all the competitions they were competing in – the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup, in a space of weeks.

Inacio Miguel and Glody Lilepo of Kaizer Chiefs. Image: Kaizer Chiefs

In the Premier Soccer League, the Glamour Boys are 14 points behind joint leaders Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, who are on 44 points each. Basically, Amakhosi’s chances of winning the league are very low.

According to South Africa and Chiefs legend Itumeleng Khune, this is happening because the players have now become influencers instead of focusing on the game, and helping the Soweto giants deliver.

Kaizer Chiefs players have lost it – Khune

“It’s unfortunate that nowadays players have a lot of distractions. Players have invested in social media. They are not footballers anymore they are influencers,” the 38-year-old told Beyond the Game.

Kaizer Chiefs players feeling the pitch. Photo: Kaizer Chiefs

“Current players don’t care about their careers that’s why I’m saying you go to Kaizer Chiefs – Itumeleng Khune was the last goalkeeper to play for both Chiefs and Bafana and play 91 times for the national team and play more than 350 games for Kaizer Chiefs in 20 years in the first team.

“You’ve had Bruce [Bvuma] coming after me whom we thought is going to to follow in the footsteps. I’m happy that you mentioned that now there hasn’t been a Kaizer Chiefs player in the national team,” Khune added.

I used to be crazy when I was still playing for Kaizer Chiefs – Khune

“We were taking our football careers serious and didn’t have any distractions. On our phones, we only had Facebook. You would look at it, put it aside then you focus on your career,” the ex-Bafana Bafana player recalled.

Kaizer Chiefs great Itumeleng Khune saves for Bafana Bafana. Photo – Imago

“You do extra work. Even with the distributions I used to practice in the backyard at home. I would take a tooth pick after eating meat and then try to hit it with the ball. Next it would be a fork. I used to be so crazy about football.

“But kids nowadays, it’s like they’re not even bothered that Kaizer Chiefs used to produce goalkeepers and players for the national team and now there’s no player. Why are they not bothered?” Khune concluded.