Itumeleng Khune of Kaizer Chiefs during Kaizer Chiefs Media Day at Kaizer Chiefs Village In his first decade as the club’s No 1 keeper, Itumeleng Khune won multiple trophies, including two Premiership titles under former coach Stuart Baxter. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
Johannesburg - Since Kaizer Chiefs’ fall from grace over the last seven years, captain Itumeleng Khune feels “I don’t belong to the club".
Khune is the most capped player in the current Chiefs squad, having made his debut for the club in 2007 after being promoted from the development ranks.
In his first decade as the club’s No 1 keeper, Khune won multiple trophies, including two Premiership titles under former coach Stuart Baxter.
But such has been Chiefs’ downfall in the last seven years, their trophy cabinet has gathered nothing but dust, defying their nickname of being the ‘Cup kings of South African Football’.
Since their fall, though, Khune has been questioning whether he’s been doing enough to get the team out of the slump that they are currently in.
“We accept as players that we’ve disappointed the fans. We have disappointed the chairman,” Khune said in the Soweto derby press briefing this week.
“We’ve disappointed everyone who has been supporting the club for the past seven years (because) we haven’t won any silverware.
“We feel bad to be representing the club (without winning silverware). Having been here for so long, I’m not used to that as well.
"Since I was promoted in 2004, I’ve been winning trophies.
“The fact that for the past seven years I haven’t won any (trophies), I feel I don’t belong to the badge.
“That I don’t belong to the club, (it's) because Kaizer Chiefs is not a club that goes years without winning any silverware."
Khune, though, has urged his teammates to do better and reclaim the glory days.
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“We need to pull up our socks as players and change the situation," he said.
"We can’t accept what has been happening in the past seven years and it needs to change. It starts with us, the players, we are responsible.”
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Chiefs’ barren run could come to an end this season, though, if they win the Nedbank Cup crown. They are in the last 16 where they’ll face Casric Stars.
But before even thinking about that, they’ll be eager to beat arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby this Saturday. Kick-off is at 3.30pm.
IOL Sport