Kaizer Chiefs legend Itumeleng Khune has been keeping his story straight. The 36-year-old old goalkeeper wants to keep playing until 40.
KAIZER CHIEFS HONOUR ITUMELENG KHUNE
As Amakhosi confirmed last week, Saturday’s game against Polokwane City also served as an event to honour the Ventersdorp-born star for 25 years at Kazier Chiefs. Speaking to the media on Saturday about his future, Khune highlighted the event as an honour for his service, but it was not an official retirement. Although the club said his current contract was his final deal at Kaizer Chiefs, Khune said he will sit down with the club to decide the way forward.
““This journey is still long,” he told SuperSport TV’s Lerato Phago, as quoted by iDiski Times.
“We’re still going to see each other, we’re still going to travel together, as much as we have been traveling it and I appreciate everything that everyone has done for me.
“It’s not a farewell. The club made it clear that they are honouring me for 25 years of service. They didn’t say ‘we’re bidding farewell to Itumeleng Khune’.
“I think we will go back, sit down and discuss the future. But for now, nothing has been confirmed yet.
“My legs can still carry me for the next couple of years, so I will continue giving my all whenever given the opportunity to don the black and gold jersey of Kaizer Chiefs,” Khune concluded.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if the club will offer Khune a new deal or if the veteran will be forced to find a new club.
THE CLUB’S STATEMENT
“With the Club intent on thanking our fanbase for their loyal support by finishing the season on a positive note, Kaizer Chiefs fans have another good reason to flock to FNB Stadium this Saturday, 18 May, with legendary goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune, set to be honoured ahead of the team’s final home match of the campaign. The fixture against Polokwane City promises to be an emotional and celebratory one as the Club, teammates and supporters say thank you to one of the most decorated players in Chiefs’ history,” the club said before Saturday’s match.
“Khune, a stalwart of South African football, has been a pillar of strength for Kaizer Chiefs for over two decades, having arrived as a youngster from Ventersdorp, in the North West, back in 1999. Known for his exceptional goalkeeping skills and leadership on and off the field, Khune started in the Kaizer Chiefs Youth Development Academy before being promoted to the senior team at the start of the 2004/05 season.
“Khune spent five years in the youth structures, and is currently in his record-setting 20th season with the senior team.
“Supporters in Gauteng, and those from further afield who are able to travel, are encouraged to come in large numbers to show appreciation for Khune’s contributions to the Amakhosi cause. The game against Polokwane City will not only be a crucial match for Kaizer Chiefs, with three vital points at stake, but also a poignant moment for fans to celebrate the career of a true legend of the game in South Africa.
“Saturday’s match will be the penultimate outing for the Glamour Boys, who wrap up the season in Cape Town against Cape Town Spurs on 25 May.
“Kaizer Chiefs supporters and football fans are invited to join us at FNB Stadium on Saturday to witness the team’s final home game of 2023/24 and to honour Khune’s remarkable legacy with the Club,” the club concluded last Thursday.