Ertuğral Opens Up On Crucial Khune Decision

Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertuğral famously made a then 19-year-old Itumeleng Khune his Nr.1 goalkeeper and now opened up on the decision.

Khune joined the Glamour Boys in 1999, initially as striker before being converted into a goalkeeper by youth coach Terror Sephoa.

In 2004, Khune was promoted to the first team but he had seasoned goalkeepers such as Rowen Fernandez, Brian Baloyi and Emile Baron ahead of him.

However, after three years of waiting, Ertugral made the youngster his Nr.1 following the departure of Fernandez to Germany.

“You need to analyse your player’s strengths and how to implement them in your playing capacity. So it is not that easy,” Ertuğral explains in this week’s iDiski Times column.

“And I won’t put any youngster too early into the game when I’m not 100% sure that he can prove to me that in training sessions day in and day out. 

“So there are also psychological aspects, then you give him the possibility that if he plays a bad game, yes he might be taken off, but he’s gonna play again. He needs to know that and I’m putting myself at a big risk. 

“I remember Itumeleng Khune. Itu was 19, he had two international goalkeepers [Baron & Markus Böcskör] ahead of him, and I put Itu in front of the other ones and he became the player he is today. 

“Because I knew he will make mistakes but I will give him a chance. I give him a chance, and I can give him a chance again, I knew he would be better than the other ones because I could see that in training sessions.”

However, Ertugral also insisted that a player of Khune’s caliber would’ve made it to stardom either way. 

“But an Itumeleng Khune makes it not just because of a Muhsin Ertuğral,” he added. 

“I give him the chance and stay with him and take the responsibility, yes, but you prepare him with the right people. “

You can read Ertuğral’s full column in the FREE digital version of the iDiski Times newspaper alongside interviews with Junior Khanye, Roger de Sa and Sundowns scout Tera Maliwa as well as an update on AmaZulu’s coaching shortlist and rumours about Samir Nurkovic, Miguel Timm and a PSL defender Chiefs are monitoring. Open below!

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