ITUMELENG Khune says he has the full backing of the man he replaced as Kaizer Chiefs captain.
The goalkeeper assumes the captaincy of Chiefs tonight, having supplanted Jimmy Tau as the Amakhosi leader.
Tau was stripped of the captaincy after a bust-up with coach Vladimir Vermezovic in September.
Khune, pictured having recovered from a groin surgery that kept him out of the team for two months, will take over from stand-in goalkeeper Arthur Bartman against Jomo Cosmos at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Khune was promoted to captain in October after Vermezovic told Tau, in front of the team, that he was not fit to be a leader.
But the goalkeeper said this week that he was still friends with Tau and they often shared a room while in camp.
"He's always viewed me as a future captain of the club and has always supported me. The coach did ask me to lead the team in 2009, but I told him I was not ready, but now I am and Jimmy has been very supportive," Khune said.
"Jimmy was also the one who approached me to share a room with him when I arrived at the club. I want to thank him for being so supportive throughout this transition."
The Bafana goalkeeper has often been the target of Tau's wrath in the past, especially when Khune deployed his infamous time-wasting tactics.
The roles will now be reversed, but the new captain said his predecessor was welcome to pitch in at any time.
"With his experience, I would like him to keep pitching in. I know things will work out with him supporting me. Jimmy has also told me that one day I could become Bafana captain," said Khune.
He pointed out that the captains' committee, appointed by the Chiefs management to assist Khune in his promotion, would add value in his new role.
The club named four senior players in that committee in Tinashe Nengomasha, Kaizer Motaung Jnr, George Lebese and Tlou Molekwane.
And Khune said Siphiwe Tshabalala, whom the coach did not consider as one of the four captains because he was not "100% with this club", would also aid him.
Team behind skipper Khune
ITUMELENG Khune says he has the full backing of the man he replaced as Kaizer Chiefs captain.
The goalkeeper assumes the captaincy of Chiefs tonight, having supplanted Jimmy Tau as the Amakhosi leader.
Tau was stripped of the captaincy after a bust-up with coach Vladimir Vermezovic in September.
Khune, pictured having recovered from a groin surgery that kept him out of the team for two months, will take over from stand-in goalkeeper Arthur Bartman against Jomo Cosmos at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Khune was promoted to captain in October after Vermezovic told Tau, in front of the team, that he was not fit to be a leader.
But the goalkeeper said this week that he was still friends with Tau and they often shared a room while in camp.
"He's always viewed me as a future captain of the club and has always supported me. The coach did ask me to lead the team in 2009, but I told him I was not ready, but now I am and Jimmy has been very supportive," Khune said.
"Jimmy was also the one who approached me to share a room with him when I arrived at the club. I want to thank him for being so supportive throughout this transition."
The Bafana goalkeeper has often been the target of Tau's wrath in the past, especially when Khune deployed his infamous time-wasting tactics.
The roles will now be reversed, but the new captain said his predecessor was welcome to pitch in at any time.
"With his experience, I would like him to keep pitching in. I know things will work out with him supporting me. Jimmy has also told me that one day I could become Bafana captain," said Khune.
He pointed out that the captains' committee, appointed by the Chiefs management to assist Khune in his promotion, would add value in his new role.
The club named four senior players in that committee in Tinashe Nengomasha, Kaizer Motaung Jnr, George Lebese and Tlou Molekwane.
And Khune said Siphiwe Tshabalala, whom the coach did not consider as one of the four captains because he was not "100% with this club", would also aid him.
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