Khuzwayo retirement is blow not just to Pirates, but the whole of SA

Damn…I know that injuries are part of football, but it’s quite difficult to accept such an end to such a promising career.

His premature retirement from this beautiful game is saddening.

It took me back to the day I heard the news about Wiseman Meyiwa, the Kaizer Chiefs midfielder who also saw his career cut short after he was involved in a tragic accident. What a player, what a talent, so humble and a hard-working player. Now, one can only imagine what the boy would be offering Amakhosi and we were robbed of a future Bafana Bafana player.

Khuzwayo joined the Buccaneers with so many expectations. And yes, I was one of those people who were expecting to see him excel in the Bucs jersey, especially as he spent many years in the shadow of Itumeleng Khune at Chiefs, but managed to show his brilliance whenever given a chance.

Going to Pirates, Many Bucs fans wanted to see Khuzwayo being the first choice keeper – no disrespect to the other keepers at the club.

But the main point was, Khuzwayo was going to fight for the number one jersey at Pirates and go on to battle it out with Khune at Bafana Bafana for the number one spot.

Once again, I don’t doubt that Khuzwayo would have given Khune a run for his money. Yes, Khune is a fantastic keeper and has been hailed as ‘Africa’s finest’. And the reason Khune has managed to grow from strength to strength is that he got his chance and utilised it.

Unfortunately, Khuzwayo never had that chance and when he thought he did, the damn ankle injury struck again during a MultiChoice Diski Challenge game last season. As a football fanatic and someone who loves and appreciates talent, I feel saddened by the loss of Khuzwayo. This is a big loss, not only to Pirates but the South African football fraternity as a whole.

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