Itumeleng Khune Kaizer ChiefsBackpagepix

15 years at Kaizer Chiefs: What are the major accomplishments of Itumeleng Khune?

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper and captain Itumeleng Khune has been with the senior team for the past 15 years.

He graduated from the Amakhosi academy in 2004, but was only given the chance to prove his worth at the start of the 2007/08 season by coach Muhsin Ertugral. 

At the time, Chiefs had just sold Rowen Fernandez to German outfit Arminia Bielefeld, and since then, Khune has never looked back. 

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After 15 years as a professional footballer, Khune would consider himself fortunate to have maintained the remarkable form which saw South Africa fall in love with him, especially given the fact that he's only 32-years-old. 

But what are his major accomplishments since his promotion to the first team in the last 15 years? 


  Khune's major trophies    


Itumeleng Khune of Chiefs lifts the cupgetty

Khune has won 13 major trophies with Amakhosi since 2004, including three league titles, and is Amakhosi's most decorated player in the current squad 

The Ventersdorp-born star was just a benchwarmer when Chiefs defended their league title during the 2004/05 under the tutelage of the late Ted Dumitru. 

However, he was instrumental when Chiefs won the two league titles in 2013 and 2015 with Stuart Baxter leading the technical team.    

Apart from winning three league titles, Khune has also won two Nedbank Cup trophies - one under the current sponsor in 2013 and the other in 2006 when Absa was still the premier sponsor of the tournament. 

He also won four Telkom Knockout Cup and four MTN8 titles between 2004 and 2015. 


  Khune's individual trophies    


Itumeleng Khune PSL Awards May 2015Gallo

Khune has received recognition countless times on and off the field for his brilliant work in between the sticks over the years. 

He won so many man of the match awards which this feature would not even attempt at counting. 

His first two major individual awards came soon after he broke into the professional ranks, when he scooped the Telkom Knockout Cup Goalkeeper of the Season and Player of the Season awards in 2007.  

In 2008, Khune was named Newcomer of the Year at the South African Sports Awards. 

It was during the same period that he walked away with two major individual gongs at the Premier Soccer League (PSL) awards, when he was named the PSL Players' Player of the Season and Rookie of the Year on top of the Goalkeeper of the Season award.  

Itumeleng Khune POTY

He went on to claim Amakhosi's Players' Player of the Season and Goalkeeper of the Season awards at the end of the 2007/08 season; the awards he would again win at the end of the 2012/13 campaign when Chiefs won a league and cup double in Baxter's first season in charge. 

In 2014, Khune added another Goalkeeper of the Season award despite Chiefs' failure to win a major trophy that season.  

But before then, Khune scooped two individual accolades, at the PSL awards and SA Sports Awards. 

He was named PSL Footballer of the Year in 2013 before claiming the Sportsman of the Year at the SA Sports Awards. 

Again in 2013, Khune was named among the 50 best players in the world by Goal

Overall, Khune has 17 major individual awards in his 15 years; an impressive return for a goalkeeper whose talent was nurtured in South Africa.  


  Khune's rise to the international stage    


After a series of scintillating performances for Amakhosi, Khune finally got his break to dazzle international football with his talent. 

He made his Bafana Bafana debut on March 11, 2008. That was soon after being part of the 2008 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana with South Africa. 

Khune was Bafana's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup in South Africa, where he denied Spain international David Villa from the penalty spot in one of Bafana's first matches. 

Itumeleng Khune Birthday Feature

He also started two of Bafana's three Fifa World Cup matches on home soil; only to be suspended for the final group against France after being red-carded in Bafana's 3-0 loss to Uruguay. 

The Amakhosi keeper represented South Africa at the 2013 Afcon tournament and 2014 Africa Nations Championship (Chan) on home soil.  

He was included in South Africa's Olympic team for the 2016 Games as one the overage players, and he played a pivotal role in helping his side secure a draw against Brazil in the opening match. 

Khune is Bafana's second-most capped player with 91 caps. The only player who has more is Aaron Mokoena, who retired from professional football in 2013. 


  Khune's overall appearances at Chiefs    


Kaizer Chiefs, Itumeleng Khune

In March 2018, Khune made his 300th appearance for the Glamour Boys, and therefore joining an exclusive club of legends with more than 300 under their belts, including Doctor Khumalo, Tinashe Nengomasha, Brian Baloyi, and Thabo Mooki among others. 

At the end of the 2017/18 season, Khune had made 308 appearances for Chiefs, and he added 17 more appearances during the 2018/19 season before being sidelined by a shoulder injury. 

Overall, Khune has made 325 appearances for the team from Naturena, surpassing Tinashe Nengomasha who left Chiefs with 324 appearances to his name.

Khune has also featured in 27 Soweto Derbies, four behind former teammate Siphiwe Tshabalala who played 31 matches against the Sea Robbers before leaving Chiefs for Turkey.  

Join Goal in wishing Khune a happy 32nd birthday. 

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