Lift the Itumeleng Khune smokescreen

I think this is a question that needs to be asked, and answered, once and for all, by someone at Amakhosi, whether it is the coach Ernst Middendorp, the player himself, the Chiefs medical staff, or the Amakhosi chairman himself, Kaizer Motaung.

Allow me to take you through the timeline of the latest discussion around Khune’s injury, that has seen him fail to make an appearance for Chiefs since he went off injured against Baroka FC in an Absa Premiership match on September 28.

On Thursday, at the Kaizer Chiefs Village, Middendorp was asked about Khune’s fitness ahead of the Telkom Knockout semifinal against Maritzburg United, and he replied, in brief, that it was “not possible” that his keeper would play on Sunday, and that he did not know when he would be back.

A day later, Kaizer Chiefs decided, in their infinite wisdom, to publish an article on their website, giving an injury update, and saying that Khune is, in fact, fully fit to play, apparently going against the words of their own head coach.

True to his words, however, Middendorp did not find a place for Khune in his matchday squad on Sunday, even with this season’s regular number one, Daniel Akpeyi, out suspended.

Bruce Bvuma manned the goals, and Brylon Petersen was on the bench, as Chiefs ended up slipping to a 2-1 loss to Maritzburg United, ending their bid for domestic knockout silverware in 2019.

Now to be clear, Bvuma played well in the Chiefs goal, and with Akpeyi finding his form in an Amakhosi shirt of late too, there is no need really to rush Khune back into action.

Yet the apparent difference in communication about Khune coming from the club and from their head coach speaks of an underlying issue that is not being made transparent.

Khune did make only 13 appearances for Chiefs in the league last season, troubled by a shoulder injury that ultimately caused him to miss the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Khune, indeed, has not played for his country in over a year, and his international future has to be in serious doubt. As, perhaps, does the 32 year-old’s club career, the longer he continues to remain allegedly fit, according to his club, but out of the reckoning, according to his coach.

It does make one wonder whether there is not a more serious underlying problem with Khune, injury-wise, at the moment, and whether someone is attempting to put up a smokescreen, as his career draws to a close.

Khune has served his club and country with distinction and deserves the right to hang up his boots whenever he sees fit. On the other hand maybe he will return to the field and play for several more years.

The point I am making is that a lack of transparency from his club is only blurring the issue. Why on earth did they put that article on their website when Middendorp made it plain that Khune was not fit?

I am inclined, for now, to believe the Chiefs head coach, and would predict that we are not going to see Khune in a Chiefs jersey any time soon.

The Khune distraction is strange at a time when Chiefs are performing extremely well in the league, albeit that they did lose to Maritzburg United on Sunday, and in line with the thinking that behind the scenes, there are still rumblings of discontent at Amakhosi, even with the club top of the Absa Premiership.

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