IF PUSH comes to shove, Kaizer Chiefs will play ugly football next season to ensure they win silverware, captain Itumeleng Khune has said.
The Bafana Bafana shot-stopper is disappointed that Amakhosi failed to win a trophy for a second successive PSL season.
Chiefs can only finish in unfamiliar fourth spot, should they overcome newly crowned Absa Premiership champions Bidvest Wits in their last match of the season at FNB Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
Said Khune: “Considering the rich history of the club, going two seasons without a trophy is unfair to our fans who are there for us at all times. The season was tough for all the teams – it’s not surprising that Orlando Pirates are not in the top eight. We have to go back to the drawing board, pull up our socks and do well next season to win something for the supporters.”
Added Khune: “Our former coach (Stuart Baxter) used to tell us ‘let’s keep it goalless until the dying minutes of the game’ – and you know how Tefu Mashamaite, Morgan Gould and Tower (Eric Mathoho) would score those crucial goals. Our defenders used to win us matches because we were able to play to our strengths.
“We used to work a lot harder on set-pieces and scored a lot of goals from that. At the end of day the club has an identity and style of play. We have to stick to that and if it doesn’t work for us, we have to get ugly.”
The outspoken player is all for behaving like thugs on the pitch to grind out results.
“Football is at a different level now. Players are becoming cleverer. Some coaches talk about being tsotsis (thugs) on the field of play and we have only seen that emerge in the last few years.
“I think we have been too nice in some instances. There are things we need to focus on and improve.”
The 29-year-old keeper insists he won’t feel bitter when they form a guard of honour for Wits, who did the same when Chiefs claimed the title a few seasons ago.
He went on: “I would like to congratulate Wits. They deserve the championship and guard of honour. It’s so heartwarming when you walk out of the tunnel and see other players have formed a guard of honour for you.”
Despite the season’s setbacks, Khune believes coach Steve Komphela deserves another chance to steer the team to glory in his third season in Naturena.
“The coach has done tremendously well – it’s just that we have nothing to show for it. He deserves another chance to prove his worth.”
