BAXTER KEEPS HIS FAITH
Khune very much in Bafana plans
Kaizer Chiefs’ remaining matches this season could determine whether goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune will board the flight to the African Cup of Nations with Bafana Bafana in June. Bafana coach Stuart Baxter revealed that Khune has returned from a long injury absence and has resumed training at Chiefs. The Briton said the goalkeeper could be considered for Bafana selection if Chiefs field him in these final weeks of the premiership campaign and the level of his fitness will determine whether he will be part of the side that represents his country in the first-round matches against Ivory Coast‚ Namibia and Morocco in Group D. Baxter is being kept well abreast of Khune’s recovery from the arm injury he suffered before the end of 2018 as Baxter’s son, Lee, is part of the technical set-up at Chiefs, as goalkeeper coach. “Khune is training fully [at Chiefs] and it’s now a matter of being match fit‚” said Baxter of Khune‚ who will turn 32 four days before Bafana’s first match against the Ivory Coast on June 24. Bafana will play their second Afcon match against Namibia on June 28 and complete their group assignment against Morocco on July 1. As the most capped Bafana player (89)‚ Baxter has never hid the fact how much he valued Khune’s presence in the national team. “He will have to play games before we could consider him‚” he said. “But I will be in contact obviously‚ through Lee and through Chiefs to monitor his progress from here until the end of the season. “But I don’t see him now close to playing any games yet‚ but obviously we need that to happen.” If Khune fails to make it to Egypt‚ Baxter has Darren Keet as an able replacement. Keet produced a remarkable performance in Bafana’s last qualifier for Afcon against Libya in Tunisia last month. The Bidvest Wits goalminder made a number of brilliant saves as Bafana confirmed their spot in the Afcon with a 2-1 win over the Libyans when they need a point to qualify to Egypt. Bafana will play all their Group D matches at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo and will move if they fail to finish on top. Bafana have never tasted defeat against all their opponents in nine previous Afcon tournaments.