It has been almost two weeks since Kaizer Chiefs dropped the bombshell that goalkeeper and captain, Itumeleng Khune, has been excused from official club duties, and a concerned goalkeeping legend has now weighed in.
With Orlando Pirates having confirmed welcoming star midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch back from suspension, the attention is on Chiefs to issue an update on Khune in the coming days.
In confirming the suspension of the 36-year-old, Amakhosi said Khune will be expected to attend certain programmes that have been designed to support his personal growth and development, which are also aimed at helping him to address the challenges and issues that he is facing.
Earlier, the Ventersdorp-born net-minder underwent disciplinary processes following his alleged misconduct while on duty at the club.
As the Soweto giants have promised that Khune will be welcomed back into the team once he has completed the said programmes and having met the set expectations, goalkeeping legend Joseph 'Banks' Setlhodi has offered words of advice and encouragement.
The Good
"It is beyond doubt that Itumeleng is an experienced goalkeeper and player who knows everything about the club. Itumeleng is an asset. There are many things that Itumeleng can do within the club's structures even beyond his playing days. He is a senior member of the team, and like I did after I stopped playing at Chiefs, I took over as a coach and I believe that he can follow in a similar path even if he won't necessarily be a coach. There is no way that the club can get rid of him just like that. He is the only player who has tasted what it feels like to win cups for Chiefs over the years if you look at the current squad. All the players that are there at Chiefs now do not know what it is like to win a cup for the club, and he is the only one who knows that feeling," said Setlhodi.
The Bad
"Unfortunately, I cannot comment much about this because I don't know exactly what this is all about which has led to his suspension. There was this other time that I was with Bobby (Motaung, Chiefs' football manager) but we were not at a place where we could have discussed the issue. You know what about Chiefs, you don't just bring up a topic at a function where the agenda is about something else, and that's why I didn't ask. It's all about one thing at a time for that great club," he said.
The Ugly
"It would be better to get the story directly from the horse's mouth. Speculating is like interfering with the process and jeopardising everything that's being done. But whatever the issue is, a player of his calibre cannot be left out like that and I believe that he will bounce back," concluded the legend.
How much has Chiefs missed Khune so far?
