Itumeleng Khune breaks silence on what is happening at Kaizer Chiefs.
Khune has experienced the full spectrum of Chiefs’ football journey. First, a glorious period of domination with a trophy-laden cabinet, and later, a tough nine-year dry spell. As one of the club’s most legendary figures, Khune, who has claimed seven major trophies with Chiefs, including three Premier Soccer League titles, witnessed both the highs and the lows of the team’s journey. Recently, the 37-year-old goalkeeper opened up about the reasons behind the team’s struggles during the lean years.
Khune’s insight: What went wrong?
Fans have long wondered what caused Kaizer Chiefs’ trophy drought, and Khune has shared his perspective. Reflecting on the team’s glory years, he attributes the downfall to issues off the field that eventually impacted performance on it. “I think we just left some bolts loose in certain instances, and those were the bolts that were happening off the field, and they started affecting the team on the field,” Khune explained, as quoted by Soccer Laduma.
In the past, the team boasted a strong leadership core that helped them navigate tough times. “With our generation of Morgan [Gould], we used to have senior players who, when things were not going well, were all captains on the field. But the only difference was Itu was wearing the armband,” Khune added.
He highlighted that the leadership structure during those successful years allowed the team to stay focused and motivated, regardless of the challenges on the field.
Departure of senior stars: Key turning point
“I was exposed to more or less being left alone because I was left with Tower [Eric Mathoho] – but Tower is not a talkative person, he’s so quiet,” Khune recalls.
Without a solid leadership foundation, Khune felt isolated and unable to fully lead the team on his own.
Khune’s approach to leadership was always collaborative.
“I would always run things past him before I go to the rest of the guys. That has always been my leadership skill to say, let me involve everyone before I make the final decision.”
But when senior players started to leave, the new recruits were not familiar with the winning mentality that had previously been instilled in Chiefs’ players. Khune remarked.
“The new players… I can’t really say they lost their hunger, but it’s because they were never exposed to that.”
Impact of the trophy drought on morale
The key issue, according to Khune, was that new players lacked the experience of winning silverware, something that made the older generation so resilient.
“The guys who were there in my time had the taste of winning, and as soon as they moved to Chiefs, there was no need for us to motivate them to win. They were already players who have won silverware, and they knew how it felt,” Khune noted. In contrast, the new arrivals struggled with the pressure to win, and it became evident that many were “just on the field just to be counted as Chiefs players.”
Khune passionately explained the severity of the situation, saying. “You can’t tell me a club like Kaizer Chiefs can’t win a single cup every season.” The lack of a winning culture and the absence of seasoned leaders. Left the team unable to meet the high expectations placed on them.
Ultimately, Khune believes the key to reversing Chiefs’ fortunes lies in strengthening leadership and addressing off-field issues. “What was missing was just like I said. To tighten that bolt so that there’s continuation from where we were used to winning things to where we were not winning,” Khune said. He emphasized that it wasn’t the lack of talent. But rather the breakdown in leadership and team cohesion that derailed Chiefs during those difficult years.
Khune’s Solution to Chiefs
According to Khune, resolving these leadership and off-field issues would have made a world of difference in Chiefs’ ability to regain their former glory. Without the necessary changes, however, the team found it increasingly difficult to meet the expectations of fans. Who have long been waiting for a return to the club’s trophy-winning days.
Khune reflects on Chiefs’ struggles, his insights serve as a blueprint for what the club must do to regain its former dominance. By fostering strong leadership and reinvigorating the team’s hunger for success. Kaizer Chiefs can rise from the ashes of its trophy drought and return to the top of South African football.
Stay tuned with The South African as Itumeleng Khune breaks silence.
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