A plea has been made to Kaizer Chiefs to offer Itumeleng Khune a contract extension as part of the plans to help the team to get back to its form with improved performances on the field and cup successes.
With the 2023/24 season reaching its conclusion, Chiefs decided to honour Khune last weekend for his 25 years of loyal service to the club.
The veteran goalkeeper was presented with two jersey plaques and a guard of honour before the Polokwane City match, while coach Cavin Johnson introduced him for the last 14 minutes of the match in what many speculated as a potential end of the playing career of the 36-year-old with Amakhosi.
Overall, Khune has made just six appearances in all competitions this season, but ex-midfielder Junior Khanye believes that he deserves a new two-year contract.
The Good
"I believe that Kaizer Chiefs should have handled Itumeleng Khune's situation in a much better way than they have done for the legendary status that he has earned at the club over the years. I believe that Chiefs should have extended Khune's contract by now as he remains an important member of the squad. The guy's contract should have been extended in January already and I don't understand why that didn't happen.
"In fact, it should not have even gotten to this stage, and the guy's deal should have been extended by two years when the club gave him his last contract extension in June last year. I was so disappointed when he was offered only a one-year deal. Khune has been loyal to the team and because of that I think he deserves to be rewarded. Do you want to tell me that in all these years that he had been on top of his game and doing well for Chiefs, he wasn't getting any offers from elsewhere? He was getting the offers, but he chose to be loyal to the club, and can you now tell me that such kind of loyalty doesn't deserve to be rewarded? The guy deserves better," said Khanye.
"Carling Cup showing gone unnoticed"
"For me, Khune is still the best and I would have expected him to play many games this season, way more than he has done under the two coaches he worked with. Especially in the second round of the season, after he did well in the Carling Cup for the Carling All Stars select side against Stellenbosch. The guy proved that class his permanent with his Man of the Match performance after a long time that he wasn't playing. I have been watching the Chiefs goalkeepers that have been playing conceding goals left, right and centre and I have been asking myself questions. If you can count the number of goals that Bruce Bvuma and Brandon Petersen have conceded among themselves, it leaves much to be desired," he added.
The Bad
"I don't know why there have been doubts about Khune's ability because he isn't the player you can doubt. The way things happened this season, there have been doubts on what the guy can still do on the field and for me that is disappointing for such a quality player. Had Khune played regularly in the second round of the season, I have no doubt that the team's position on the log would have improved. Even if the team hasn't been at its best, Khune would have helped to improve the situation. He has done it before and saved Chiefs on many occasions. There have been several games in the past where it would be an opposition team against Khune so to speak because of his performance," Khanye added.
The Ugly
"We would have been talking about the Chiefs team that is settled in the top eight by now at least despite the disappointing season they have had. Okay that didn't happen, and there is a game where you honour the guy but still, he doesn't start and how do you explain that? He was supposed to start and finish that game at least. You give the guy the last 15 minutes in a game in his honour, come on now, that didn't make sense to me," he said.
"Respect for Chiefs chairman and management"
"I have so much respect for the Kaizer Chiefs chairman and everyone in the club management and I do acknowledge that I am where I am because of them. The club gave me the platform and I am reaping the rewards of that even today. I will always respect the club but if I feel that some of the things that are done shouldn't be like that, I will say it and I won't be scared of doing so," concluded Khanye.
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