Kaizer Chiefs' legendary former goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune has raised important concerns about the standard of strikers in South African football, both at Amakhosi and across the Betway Premiership.
Speaking candidly to Soccer Laduma about the struggles of local strikers, with a specific focus on the Chiefs duo of Ashley Du Preez and Ranga Chivaviro, both of whom have scored two goals each, Khune questioned why players are not able to match the goalscoring feats of their counterparts in Europe, and why finishing continues to be an area of weakness for many attackers in the league.
Khune pointed out the stark difference in goal returns between South African strikers and those playing in top European leagues.
"The goal return is very bad, and I wonder how these players are able to walk in the streets with their heads held high," Khune said.
"If you check strikers in Europe, by eight games, they are already on 11 or 12 goals. What's the difference with South African strikers in general?"
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The 37-year-old believes the disparity can be linked to a lack of specialized coaching for strikers. While most teams across the league have goalkeeper coaches, Khune suggests that South African clubs need to invest in striker coaches who can dedicate time to improving finishing.
"I think clubs need to invest in striker coaches because most teams have goalkeeper coaches," Khune explained.
"Striker coaches should be focused on the specific needs of attacking players, helping them work on their finishing after every training session."
The veteran goalkeeper emphasized the importance of strikers taking responsibility for their own improvement. He reflected on his own experience as a goalkeeper, explaining how he regularly stays behind after training to work on specific aspects of his game.
"As goalkeepers, we are like that. After a session, if you feel like something is missing, you always ask your goalkeeper coach to stay behind and work on an area of improvement, like volleys.
"So, what's stopping strikers from staying behind and doing finishing so that they can improve?"
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