Itumeleng Khune confirms he wants to retire

Over the last few months it’s appeared as if Itumeleng Khune was headed for an ignominious end to his illustrious Kaizer Chiefs career.

The bombshell development came after Kaizer Chiefs confirmed in a statement towards the end of last year that Khune had been suspended for misconduct after apparently arriving at training smelling of alcohol.

Khune last featured for Chiefs on 11 November 2023, but after serving a suspension and fulfilling several conditions, he has returned to the squad in hopes of reviving his career.

It still remains to be seen whether Khune will remain at Chiefs beyond this season, especially as Amakhosi have extended the contracts of Brandon Petersen and No 1 keeper Bruce Bvuma. However, he has now reiterated that he has no plans to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

“I told myself that I want to play here until I hang up my gloves,” he commented. “I think I’ve done tremendously well when it comes to that part, and if I’m forced to retire at the end of the season, I can retire peacefully and start focusing on other things. But I’ve never seen myself representing any other brand besides Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana.”

YOU CAN HEAR WHAT ITUMELENG KHUNE HAD TO SAY ABOUT HIS CHIEFS FUTURE BELOW

THE CLUB RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT UPON HIS RETURN

“Kaizer Chiefs’ longest serving player, Itumeleng Khune, has rejoined the team following his separation from his teammates in order to fulfill certain conditions required of him before he could be allowed back at the Village.

“Khune was suspended early in December to afford him an opportunity to complete a corrective programme designed for him to meet set expectations for a professional athlete. Upon completion of the programme, a report from an independent body of professionals was received and shared with the technical team to demonstrate that he had done all that was required.

“During his three month absence, Khune says he fully participated in the programmes set out for him and believes they assisted with his personal growth and development as a professional athlete as well as an individual. He looks forward to working hard at training and sharing his knowledge with his teammates.

“In January and February, Kaizer Chiefs also allowed Khune to participate on the panel of SABC Sport analysts during the recent Africa Cup of Nations. The experience gained from the exercise will hopefully benefit his life in future.

“As Kaizer Chiefs, we welcome Itu back to the home he has known for over 25 years, and we remain committed to our core values of discipline, integrity, respect, and unity.”

Kaizer Chiefs will be back on the field this Easter weekend when they battle it out against Cape Town City for three points in the DStv Premiership.

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