Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper coach Alex Heredia has applauded Kaizer Chiefs for honouring Itumeleng Khune as the reality of his last hours as a Kaizer Chiefs player starts to hit home.
The Glamour Boys will use their DStv Premiership encounter against Polokwane City on Saturday to honour their long-serving goalkeeper Khune.
Khune has been with the Soweto giants for all of 25 years.
Heredia, who worked with Khune in the national team, says the best way to honour the goalkeeper is to put him in the starting line-up against the Limpopo-based outfit.
"What Chiefs are doing is a good idea. Bruce Bvuma is a good goalkeeper, but with the crisis the club finds themselves in, they will need to win at least one of their two remaining games to finish in the Top Eight, so if it was me, I'd give a chance to Itu," Heredia bravely asserts, as he sits down for a conversation with KickOff.
"Keeping Khune for one more year would be a great thing also because it won't be easy for Kaizer Chiefs to get a top, top goalkeeper. Khune is still good. I don't know his situation. He made a mistake at the beginning of the season, and the drinking incident was isolated, it's not something he does regularly.
"So, if it was up to me, I'd keep him. I'm not buying faces, but I think he can still offer something at the club. The fact that he played in the World Cup and represented the national team on so many occasions playing for one club says a lot about him," adds Heredia.
He also reveals what makes the Ventersdorp-born man tick, enjoying such longevity at a club renowned for attracting pressure 24/7.
"Khune has unbelievable natural ability, physically he's been looking after himself for so many years. He has never been involved in scandals, arguments, or fighting. He's been always solid in terms of his profession.
"Getting injured a couple of years ago was a bit of a setback, but besides that, he was not the type of keeper who was always injured.
"To me, Itu is the Messi of goalkeepers in South Africa. He is the goalkeeper every PSL club would love to have. He is a legend, but he shouldn't be called that yet as he is still playing."
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