Legendary goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has been insisting he wants to continue playing despite Kaizer Chiefs‘ refusal to extend his contract.
The 37-year-old has been serving the Glamour Boys for the last 25 years, winning several major trophies with the club before the management decided it was enough. Despite venturing into other businesses, the former Bafana Bafana custodian was in denial that he was not actively involved on the pitch.
Amakhosi have since signed former TS Galaxy keeper Fiacre Ntwari who is currently coach Nasreddine Nabi's first choice.
In his recent interview with the Sowetan, former South Africa international goalkeeper Brian Baloyi insisted Khune has no option but to accept he has served his course. Baloyi said Chiefs coaches are under pressure to deliver after nine seasons without a trophy, and giving Khune a chance is not an option.
‘Khune's curtains have fallen' – Baloyi
“In the last five years, I think he played less than 50 games. He had fitness challenges, being overweight and all that,” the 50-year-old stated.
“I feel for him, he is my boy and I wanted him to go overseas in his prime. But now there are factors working against him. He has to ask himself whether the effort he’s put in the last five years merits another contract. He should say, ‘Have I done enough?’ He should be honest with himself.”
“It’s true that some keepers like Peter Shelton [the Englishman who retired at 47], the great Gigi Buffon [who retired aged 45 last year] and even Andre Arendse played well into their forties. Denis Onyango [of Mamelodi Sundowns] is older [39] than Khune and he’s still playing. But the coaches at Chiefs are under pressure. They can’t take a risk on a player who hasn’t played that much in the last five years. It’s a challenge for Khune because it might mean he has to go to a smaller team and even there, he will have to prove his fitness.
“Accepting that your time is over is not easy. I missed out on selection for the 2010 World Cup and concluded that I had nothing to play for. I made the decision. In South Africa, a lot of players don’t retire out of their own volition.
“There’s not even an announcement. I can give plenty of examples like Shabba [Siphiwe Tshabalala], Morgan Gould and now Itu. It’s difficult to walk away from the game in your mid-30s when it’s all you’ve known. Sport doesn’t equip players with a good platform to prepare for the end. Counseling is required to make players accept that the curtain has fallen,” he concluded.
