Khune to work on his temper
THE newly crowned footballer of the year, Itumeleng Khune, will work on his temper over the next few weeks, something the goalkeeper believes could be stand in his way if he is to attract offers from abroad.
Following his clean sweep at the Premier Soccer League awards on Sunday night, where he was also named goalkeeper and players' player of the season, the Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana No1 critiqued his own game - a rare attribute for most top athletes.
"My biggest challenge is to try and defend all these awards next season. I need to control my temper a bit more because it has been the (big) talk in South Africa. Everywhere I go people say to me I need to control my temper on the field," said Khune.
Khune's temper and his over-the-top gamesmanship has often led to him being cautioned by referees and he was handed a one-match suspension during Amakhosi's championship-winning season.
At the weekend, after pocketing R575000 in prize money from all the accolades, Khune said his progress could be tainted by the antics.
"Sometimes I'm being pushed too far. When Chiefs are in the lead, the referees think I am wasting time like against SuperSport (United, in the Nedbank Cup final), when I went jogging to fetch the ball and before I could take the goal kick I was given a yellow card," said Khune. "The referee never warned me and I did not deserve a yellow card."
What has been described as Khune's time-wasting tactics was highlighted during the Nelspruit debacle when Bafana Bafana were held to a goalless draw in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sierra Leone two years ago.
The keeper faked an injury to wind down the clock, while under the impression Bafana only needed a point to qualify for the 2012 Afcon finals. The South African Football Association had misread the rules and a draw was not enough.
On the night he was hailed the best in SA during the 2012-13 season, Khune, 26, opened up about his desire to play in Europe, but said the stigma of the Nelspruit debacle could hurt his chances.
"A bad picture has been painted of me. If a club from Europe is looking at me as a goalkeeper, the first thing they will say is that I lack certain qualities, but I do not lack any of that. But the referees are doing their job and I respect that," Khune said.
"Next season I will work on my temper and time-delaying tactics - if that is one of the biggest concerns in my career."
Khune said he felt he had matured earlier than expected since making his Chiefs debut almost six years ago.
"I hear that goalkeepers usually mature at the age of 28, but I think I am fortunate to have done it at 26. It is a great sign, but I have a lot of work to do and I have a lot to still achieve going forward if I can just keep my feet firmly on the ground."