Kaizer Chiefs legend Itumeleng Khune fires warning to Amakhosi board over coaching merry-go-round - 'We can't keep rebuilding'

For a decade, the word 'rebuild' has been a constant feature in the lexicon for Kaizer Chiefs, but Itumeleng Khune has officially run out of patience.

The former Bafana Bafana captain expressed his frustration with a term that has become synonymous with the club's trophy drought.

"You know that rebuild word, I have heard it for the last 10 years," Khune said as per KickOff.

"For teams like Kaizer Chiefs, they just have to be consistent in keeping one coach and making one coach, a very experienced coach that can come and take this project for the next five to 10 years without rebuilding again."

While Chiefs have been stuck in a loop of transition, their fiercest rivals have been filling their trophy cabinets.

Amakhosi have managed just one piece of silverware in the last ten years, the 2025 Nedbank Cup, a statistic that pales in comparison to Mamelodi Sundowns' 18 trophies and Orlando Pirates' 10 major titles during the same period.

Khune, who was a pivotal figure in the club’s last league-winning campaign in 2014/15, noted that the standard has slipped significantly.

"Chiefs are known to be cup specialists. Unfortunately, in the past 10 years, we have been struggling.

"But we found our feet again, and the team finished third this season," he remarked, acknowledging the slight improvement in the 2025/26 campaign despite the lack of a trophy.

The looming appointment of Fernando Da Cruz represents yet another fresh start for the Glamour Boys.

The club endured a chaotic 2025/26 Premier Soccer League season following the October departure of Nasreddine Nabi, which left Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef to manage the squad on an interim basis.

Khune believes the frequent chopping and changing must stop if Da Cruz is to succeed.

"The former shot-stopper said, looking at the last three seasons, Chiefs have not performed to their standards because trophies are not coming in," Khune added, reiterating that the incoming coach needs a long-term mandate rather than a quick fix that ends in another reset.

With Da Cruz set to take charge of pre-season preparations, the pressure is already mounting.

For Khune, the road to redemption starts immediately. He has challenged the squad to hit the ground running when they return for camp on 22 June, ahead of a scheduled pre-season trip to Germany.

The legend believes that a strong start in the season-opening MTN8 is non-negotiable to restore the winning culture at the club.

"We can’t keep rebuilding every season," Khune concluded, firmly putting the ball in the board's court.

As the 2026/27 season approaches, the Amakhosi faithful will be hoping that the 'building process' finally results in a finished product capable of challenging for the Premier Soccer League title.