“But he has played second-fiddle to Nigerian Daniel Akpeyi at Chiefs since he returned from his injury.”
THE door is still open for Kaizer Chiefs net-minder, Itumeleng Khune, in the Bafana Bafana set-up.
Khune has been out of the picture in the Bafana set-up for the past year because due to injury leaving Ronwen Williams and Darren Keet to do the business and slot in as South Africa’s co-No 1 keepers. The duo have performed the task with aplomb and Khune will not just walk back into the starting line-up.
Bafana coach, Molefi Ntseki, however, has revealed that the door is not closed for Khune.
“I won’t say much on Itumeleng because he has just played one game. We hope that he will get more game time. Everything depends on the game plan when it comes to Kaizer Chiefs,” Ntseki explained in an interview with the media.
Williams is set to continue to command a regular starting berth for Bafana when they face Sao Tome and Principe in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier home and away.
The 28-year-old has blossomed in his international career following a shaky start in the national team. His game is now on a new horizon with him producing superhuman efforts between the sticks for both club and country. He has kept the most clean sheets in the Absa Premiership in the current season. The SuperSport goal-minder is the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL), Goalkeeper of the Season.
Said Ntseki: “Every player is given a chance to play and we will always profile him like any other player in the league.
Best by far
“Itumeleng played in the Nedbank Cup against a First Division team and today (Saturday), he was on the bench. We are looking at so many other players, not only Itumeleng.
“Before injuries stifled Khune’s progress, he was the best in the country by far. He is one of the more experienced players with 89 caps to his name in the senior national team having featured in two Afcons, the World Cup, Fifa Confederation Cup and Olympic Games for his country.
“But he has played second-fiddle to Nigerian Daniel Akpeyi at Chiefs since he returned from his injury.”
Khune is expected to return between the posts for Amakhosi when they lock horns with Highlands Park this coming weekend in the Nedbank Cup.
Akpeyi made a costly error this past weekend in an Absa Premiership match against Maritzburg United at FNB Stadium and Khune will be looking to keep another clean sheet as he did against Royal Eagles in the first round of the Nedbank Cup when they square off against the Lions of the North.
“We will always give players opportunity if we think they can give us the quality that we need,” Ntseki said.
Khune missed out on the last Afcon in Egypt last year because of an injury. Meanwhile, Bafana have amassed three points in two games in the current qualifiers for the next Afcon in Cameroon next year.
They got the better of Sudan and succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Ghana, now Bafana will be out to collect six points against the unknown, Sao Tome next month.
