Former national team goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune was a notable absentee when Kaizer Chiefs went down 1-0 to Royal AM on Saturday. Arthur Zwane has explained why he was missing in action.
In recent seasons, Khune has struggled to maintain a consistent place in the Amakhosi set-up, losing his Bafana position.
With coach Zwane now in charge, it looked like an opportunity for him to bounce back to the starting line-up. However, in Amakhosi’s opening game of the season, the Chiefs captain had to watch the game from the stands.
The man popularly known as ‘10111’ explained the omission of the ex-Bafana number one.
“No, Khune was not here because of selection; it was all about picking the best 11,” he told the media after the game.
He believes Bruce Bvuma was their best option in between the sticks, with Brandon Peterson deputising him. Despite conceding an early goal, he was happy with the national team goalie’s performance.
“We had to take Bruce, and he did well; it’s just unfortunate to concede that goal due to lack of concentration,” he added.
The Phefeni Glamour Boys will shift their focus to their subsequent two encounters. They host Maritzburg United on Tuesday and then visit Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, a game many believe they will be tested on whether they are ready to compete or not for this season’s league title.
With his experience, Khune hopes to fight back and reclaim that number one position. He made his PSL debut against Jomo Cosmos on 25 August 2007, marking a start to what would be a successful career.
In 2011, he was appointed the club’s captain, taking over from Jimmy Tau. His best season was the 2012/13 term, in which he was crowned the league’s best player after guiding the Soweto giants to a league and cup double.
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