Itumeleng Khune Will Retain the No.1 Goalkeeper Starting Spot at Kaizer Chiefs, Club Believes in Him
- Mzansi goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune will breathe easier knowing that Stuart Baxter has placed his faith in him
- According to the Kaizer Chiefs head coach, Khune is still good enough to be starting regularly for the club
- Baxter says that he will rotate only once Khune drops his form but for now, he believes that he's perfect for the position
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Itumeleng Khune is still going to be the number one goalkeeper for Kaizer Chiefs as things stand. There has been speculation on whether his position is safe since the club has so many decent goalkeepers but it looks like Stuart Baxter has faith in him as his number one man.
Khune started in the game against Mamelodi Sundowns and was pretty solid even though Kaizer Chiefs conceded two goals in the first half. In the penalty shootout, Khune made a few saves and showed that he can still do his job very well.
Source: Getty Images
In a press conference after the game, Stuart Baxter maintained that Khune is not going anywhere for now. According to a report by The South African, he said:
"The competition is healthy. It’s unhealthy when Itu is put on the sidelines and he’s not all over social media and has a bad attitude in training, which is not the case.
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“If Itu plays outstanding then we’ll not be rotating, but if we feel Itu has gone off the boil or one of the others are playing outstanding and he will suit the next opponent better, then we’ll make the change.”
As a result, it is likely that Khune will start in goal for Kaizer Chiefs in their DStv Premiership season opener against TS Galaxy on Sunday, 22 August according to KickOff.
The selection criteria will be based on form, according to the former Bafana Bafana coach, who praised the professionalism of all four of his goalkeepers.
Stuart Baxter says that Itumeleng Khune is finer with age
Briefly News previously reported that Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter says that Itumeleng Khune has evolved plenty since he was the gaffer six years ago.
Speaking exclusively to Briefly News with a few comments, Baxter highlighted that Khune's age is not going to be a problem at all.
The story around goalkeepers at Amakhosi is a tricky one since there are four good goalies who are good enough for the number one starting spot according to coach Baxter. When it comes to Khune though, the coach has absolutely no worries about him.
"The challenge we all have is to make sure we stay in as good shape as we can, as sharp as we can. It's inevitable that the clock will tick but we know goalkeepers can play well into their thirties," said Baxter to Briefly News.
Source: Briefly News
