Kaizer Chiefs stalwart Itumeleng Khune. Photo: BackpagePix
Khune’s plea to Kaizer Chiefs fans after the Arthur Zwane incident
Khune has called for patience on Zwane and the entire squad from fans following the booing incident that happened in Polokwane on Sunday.
Kaizer Chiefs stalwart Itumeleng Khune. Photo: BackpagePix
Kaizer Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune has called for patience on Arthur Zwane and their entire squad from the supporters following the booing incident that happened in Polokwane on Sunday.
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Chiefs players were booed by their own fans as they walked into the change rooms after the final whistle while Zwane had to be escorted by police as the same individuals chanted ‘Arthur Must Go’.
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Zwane has since commented on the incident as reported by The South African website, saying it was within the rights of the Chiefs fans to react the way they did on the day.
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Now, Khune, who is the longest-serving member in the current Chiefs squad, has reminded the club’s faithful that the management has, in the past, worked with them by bringing in coaches and players they recommended but there were still no trophies won.
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Furthermore, Khune pleaded with the impatient Chiefs fans to give the current squad time to settle, saying a change of fortunes doesn’t happen overnight.
Khune made an example of how patient the majority of European teams are with their coaches and players, and he mentioned that because he believes Chiefs have a good enough squad to challenge for trophies next season.
KHUNE CALLS FOR PATIENCE, PROMISES CHIEFS WILL CHALLENGE FOR TROPHIES NEXT SEASON
“All I can say to our supporters is, yes, we have been asking for patience, but again, they need to understand there have been different coaches in the past seasons because most of the time it is what they recommended to management,” Khune told reporters on Monday.
“The club has delivered certain coaches that the supporters recommended and some of the players they wanted to come in. So, everyone who has come in needs time to settle.
“We understand Kaizer Chiefs is not the club to wait. You have to play every match to win and challenge for the silverware,” continued Khune.
“But when you have players who are new in the setup it becomes our responsibility as leaders and players who have been there to guide them.
“It’s never easy and it won’t take just one game to turn things around. It will take quite some time.
“If you look at European clubs, they are patient with coaches and players because they know the team is building,” explained Khune.
“Yes, we haven’t been winning silverware but the squad we have now, compared to the previous squad, I think is ready to compete. If we can be given more time, come next season, we should be able to win everything on offer.”
He added: “In the 2012-2013 season, we were sweeping everything because we had a new coach [Baxter] and most Bafana Bafana players who were playing at Chiefs, such as Tsepo Masilela, Bernard Parker, Siboniso ‘Pa’ Gaxa, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane and myself.
“Now we have strong, young and aspiring players who want to win silverware. That is what we talk about every day at work — that we want to win trophies. We promise our supporters things will turn around at some point.”
