Now that the dust has settled, and everyone has been able to celebrate Itumeleng Khune and had their say about the happenings at the FNB Stadium on 18 May, when Kaizer Chiefs hosted Polokwane City in their last home game of the season, it is safe to discuss that afternoon's happenings. This was an important game for the Naturena based club as they desperately needed maximum points to secure their Top Eight finish, while they were honouring Itu for 25 years of service. The longest-serving Amakhosi skipper was paraded and given a guard of honour before the start of the game, and also got a chance to 'bid farewell to the Chiefs supporters'. It was such an underwhelming possible farewell, if we are being brutally honest.
One is also mindful of the fact that the Khune story has pretty much run its course and the supporters have now accepted that they probably would not see him in their favourite team's colours anymore. This brings us to the importance of footballers being given a chance to say, "Goodbye" to their supporters in a proper manner. We have seen so many wonderful and great football legends disappear from the football scene. Some of them were forced into retirement, while others were swept away, and never even given a chance to bid their fans farewell. Reneilwe Letsholonyane officially announced his retirement on social media! Some of these great legends retired unofficially while others were last seen as benchwarmers.
For us to build football and give credibility to what we believe is the number one sport, we have to continue celebrating, acknowledging, and investing in these legends. By so doing, the young ones have something to look forward to and people to look up to. In his post-match interview after winning the Man of the Match award in the much talked about league clash between TS Galaxy and Mamelodi Sundowns, The Rockets midfielder, Mpho Mvelase, highlighted the importance of having senior players around the youngsters. He also sent out a message to club chairmen about their treatment for the senior citizens because he believes they still have an important role to play in their teams. Story for another day, for sure!
You see, there is a difference between a player who is celebrating a 50th appearance at his club and a player who is possibly leaving the club or retiring. These are two completely different "Goodbyes" and, as it is public knowledge now, Chiefs made it clear that this was Khune's last contract with the club while he is on the record about wanting to continue playing football 'until he's 40'. It is not every day that we celebrate 25 years of excellence service at the same club, which demands more to be done for Itu. Surely, everyone can understand when we expect a lot more than a guard of honour and 15-minute appearance. Just like Doctor Khumalo, Itu deserves a benefit game for the way he represented Amakhosi and played a major role in inspiring young, up-and-coming goalkeepers with even some of his peers taking lessons from his game. These days you see his distribution skills adopted by other goalkeepers and even the signals he uses to organise his defence. Such has been his impact during his illustrious career and the last thing we would want to see is that May 18th celebration being the last chapter of Khune and Chiefs.
Even if the two parties go their separate ways, or Khune somehow decides to retire and gets absorbed into the team's employ, surely that was not it for Khune at Chiefs, was it? The beautiful relationship that saw these two institutions become a 'Family' can't just end like that and, if that was to be the case, it would send a wrong message out there. Players should be celebrated and rewarded for their loyal and excellent service. Khune and Chiefs' have been one of the most beautiful football stories as he attended trials as an outfield player only to go on and become one of the
best goalkeepers in the continent. It just can't end like that, something bigger and better has to be organised to celebrate this extraordinary talent.
Some of us still resent the fact that so many legends like Thabo Mooki, Lucky Lekgwathi, Hlompho Kekana, among others, disappeared without a proper goodbye befitting of their contribution not just to their clubs but South African football at large. It is a short end of the stick for the supporters, if you think about it, because they are deprived of an opportunity to close the chapter on the players they admired so much, players they parted their hard-earned money with just to see these footballers in action, week in and week out. We really need to encourage and revisit the tradition of benefit games, even if they are done through generations or squads rather than just individuals, to avoid a logistical nightmare every time a legend pulls a curtain on their career.
Without this recognition and acknowledgement, the perception is that we quickly adopt the 'out with the old, in with the new' attitude. It also says no one really cares about these footballers anymore, when they left us with so many wonderful memories and impacted the country's happiness index positively.
Surely, yes, there is a lot of work behind making these games happen but one believes it is all worth the trouble. These players should not be allowed to just disappear. Players like Happy Jele, Jabu Maluleke, Siyabonga Nomvethe, the list is endless, just packed it all up and left. It can't be right and business as usual when this unfortunate practice continues.
Once again, it was good that Amakhosi gave Khune a chance to be in the match day squad and, even better, the fact that he played the last 15 minutes of the game, which is something no one saw coming, was just out of this world. We are talking about someone who had been reduced to a spectator for the better part of the season, so seeing him in action was the last thing on anyone's mind. Honestly, Chiefs have been ready for life without Itu for seasons now and they certainly didn't need nor have to play him that Saturday, but we are all happy they did. So, big ups to Amakhosi for doing that but was it really enough?
One doesn't think so. One hopes there is a benefit game 'Spider-kid' on the horizon, after his future becomes clear, so that we get to celebrate him properly. Think of Esrom Nyandoro, Tinashe Nengomasha, Edelbert Dinha, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Thanduyise Khuboni, Surprise Moriri and many others who were so inspirational to their teams and led by example, then you will understand the need to celebrate these guys. The way they disappeared from the face of the football scene is unbelievably shocking. We never really find closure and see these guys pull the curtain on their careers properly.
The fact that you don't know whether Siphiwe Tshabalala is still a professional footballer or not is just not right. 'Guys, this is the end of the road for me. Thank you, wonderful supporters, for everything you've done for me over the years,' surely isn't too much to ask from our teams and the powers that be. That would go a long way in ensuring that future and current players give their all at their respective clubs knowing that they will be rewarded at the end of the day. Surely, once again, that is not too much to ask.
Cheers.
VeeJay
