Last week Kaizer Chiefs Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jnr hinted to journalists that the club's legendary goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune, might soon transition to a non-playing role within the organisation, and now the Siya crew finds out what the legend's new role could be.
Despite Chiefs' plans, Khune himself is reportedly still contemplating his future on the pitch so nothing has been finalised yet.
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However, Siya sources close to the club and the former Bafana Bafana number one, have indicated that Khune has been offered a position in the commercial and marketing department alongside Jessica Motaung. The sources added that Khune may feel he still has another season or two left as a player.
"They have been having talks and negotiations between Khune and his representative and things are looking good as of his new position now. They all agree that working in the Commercial and Marketing department with Jessica (Motaung) suits him better because of his time with the team where he has become the face of the club and he can market it anywhere and to anyone without any efforts as the club is in his blood," said the Siya source.
"So, that is why they are deciding on that (potential) position's right name. They don't want to label it at the moment but they feel that's where he fits. But for him as a person he was of the view that he can still play for two more seasons or at least one but the club is happy to have him in management and let him play an important role there," the source added.
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The club is also considering Khune's long-term future beyond his playing days. A second insider stated that Chiefs are encouraging him to pursue his coaching qualifications.
"In future they want to consider him as a goalkeeper coach or even a coach for any age group at Chiefs and they want him to be ready and qualified when that time comes. So, apart from working in Commercial and Marketing with Jessica, he will be attending a coaching course and getting the right qualifications to prepare himself for the future at the club in the coaching space," the second source stated.
This potential new role for Khune reflects the club's desire to leverage his extensive experience and popularity for broader organisational benefits while also preparing him for future contributions in different capacities.
Soccer Laduma reached out to Chiefs for comment on these developments, but there was no response at the time of publishing.
