Posted in News on Sep 30, 2007.
The South African U-23 international looked like a seasoned professional when he took his place between the sticks for the shoot out, and saved James Mayinga’s kick first up. Although he was beaten by Bevan Fransman who took Swallows second penalty, Khune then exacted revenge of sorts when he got a hand to Sandile Ndlovu’s penalty, the player whose last minute goal in normal time ensured that the game went the distance.
When Songwe Chalwe ballooned his kick and Siphiwe Tshabalala turned home The Amakhosi’s final penalty, the young keeper knew that he had done his bit to ensure Chiefs would live another day in the Telkom Cup.
Man of the moment
Khune’s shoot-out heroics has seen him edge out a number of his team mates as he collected the man of the match award, which included him collecting soccer equipment worth R5000, which he will be able to donate to a school of his choice.
After Saturday’s game, the young Amakhosi keeper had already made up his mind as to what he was going to do with his man of the match award as he would be handing it over to a school in his home town.
“I will be taking this equipment and will be handing it over to my old school in Ventersdorp, the town where I grew up. This award is not Itumeleng Khune’s, but it is actually for the entire team as everyone put up a great show against Swallows.”
Shoot out gamble
In the three games that Khune had played prior the Telkom Cup encounter against Swallows, he was beaten in two of them from the penalty spot and when the game went into a shoot-out, the penalty goals he conceded against Jomo Cosmos and Wits had briefly run through his mind.
Khune spoke to kaizerchiefs.com through the emotions he was experiencing during the spot kicks saying, “We practised penalties during the week and somehow when the game went to penalties, I knew we would win. When the kicks started I thought about the Wits and Cosmos games and tried block them out of my mind, and focused on what was in front of me. There was a bit of nerves when they took their first kick, but once I saved the kick it helped me gain in confidence and with me saving it, put our kick takers under less pressure.”
Dinkelacker approval
Amakhosi goalkeeper coach Rainer Dinkelacker was amongst the first people to run on to the field at the Loftus Stadium on Saturday evening to congratulate Khune as he was being held aloft and carried on the shoulders of his team mates at the conclusion of the shoot out.
Afterwards a beaming Dinkelacker posed for pictures with Khune and the teacher and student could not contain their joy on a job well done. The Chiefs goalie coach was well pleased by Khune’s heroics and said of the young keeper’s performance: “I felt that Itumeleng had a good game all round, not just in the shoot out, he made some big saves when it mattered most and he deserves all the acclaim that he has received for what he helped the team achieve against Swallows.”
The Chiefs goalkeeper coach has also warned the young keeper about thinking too much about his achievement against Swallows, when he said: “He must now forget about Swallows and work just as hard as he has been. He must keep his feet on the ground and we will work hard to ensure that he is not a one-game wonder.”
