KAIZER CHIEFS (0) (0)
POLOKWANE CITY (0) (0)
A day that was supposed to honour one of the club’s greats ended in a bitter-sweet taste for Kaizer Chiefs whose DStv Premiership top eight hopes continue to hang by a thread.
Chiefs celebrated the 25th anniversary of “departing” club legend Itumeleng Khune in their home match at FNB Stadium against Polokwane City yesterday.
Instead of honouring Khune with a win, they drew 0-0 with City to remain eighth on the DStv Premiership with 36 points and joint with the ninth-placed AmaZulu.
Khune is a Chiefs legend, with his career all but mirroring the downward trajectory that the club has endured in the last few years.
Khune was the last member of the team – both players and coaches – to taste silverware, making him used to the guard of honour like he received yesterday from teammates and opposition.
A win would have been huge for Chiefs yesterday as the club would have edged closer to sealing their top eight finish this season.
Such has been the decline of Chiefs – and Khune’s career in the last few years – that they find themselves having to celebrate finishing in the top eight.
And perhaps just like Khune’s fate, those aspirations will be confirmed on the last day of the season when they visit Cape Town Spurs on Saturday.
With Khune’s books having had good and bad chapters at the club, Chiefs took a leaf out of the last chapter recently.
Chiefs came into the game on the back of a host of suspensions – to Pule Mmodi, Edmilson Dove and Brandon Petersen – due to ill-discipline.
That has played a huge role in coach Cavin Johnson chopping and changing his squad, and goalie Bruce Bvuma has bemoaned that it impacts his backline.
Bvuma, a Khune protégé, honoured his mentor in fine style, keeping a clean sheet in the first half and early in the second.
Bvuma rose to the occasion in the first half when he denied Oswin Appolis from close range before Chiefs were dealt a blow through the loss of Ashley du Preez to injury.
Du Preez’s substitute, Happy Mashiane, tried his best to bring some flavour into what had been a dull party, but that didn’t bear dividends.
Appolis tried to be the party-pooper for Khune’s celebration but was either let down by his front runners or poor finishing in front of goal in the second half.
‘Mr Party’, through the supporters’ chants of “Khune! Khune! Khune”, entered the fray in the last 18 minutes to a standing ovation and kept a clean sheet.