Brilliant Khune could become his own worst enemy

ITUMELENG Khune is a brilliant Khuzwayo — I mean goalkeeper.

Even his worst enemy, if he has one, knows that Khune has a safe pair of hands that make him a trustworthy last line of defence.

When he is in the mood the Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper wins matches single-handedly.

His stupendous shot-stopping and excellent ball distribution bring elation to club followers and jubilation to fellow countrymen when he’s doing duty for Bafana Bafana.

But there is this other Khune mood, the displeasing one that reared its ugly head on Thursday night against AmaZulu in Polokwane.

It’s that rebel without a cause mood. Rebel without a cause because no amount of vein-popping barking at the referee will change the mind of a whistleman, no matter how rotten you think his decision is.

To recap, Khune got a yellow card from the referee.

He figured he had to use his shouting skills and argue with the referee. What followed was full-on fury — gesticulating, screaming, spoilt-brat-throwing-toys-out-of-the-cot stuff.

Instead of getting on with the game, Khune went berserk and completely bananas.

A short walkabout in the direction of the assistant referee and more gesticulating followed.

For this observer it was difficult to deduce whether this was a man who rose to club and country captaincy or some loony-bin escapee who underdosed on his meds.

What did he gain from engaging in buffoonery anchored on stupidity akin to cutting your nose to spite your own face?

Nothing. No, I lie, his red mist earned a red card. And then there were those tweets whose wisdom is best left unentertained.

All his antics achieved was alienation of affection, even from his own fans.

Remonstrating with a referee is like engaging in road rage. You get out of your car to con- front the guy who flashed a zap sign at you. He pulls out a gun and shoots you dead.

So the ref is the guy with a gun. The yellow card is a warning shot. The second yellow is bull’s-eye baby. There’s no sense in waging a war with the referee.

So arguing with him will change his decision? Sure, Anita Baker sings that rules were made to be broken. But in football it’s a different tune — the referee’s decision is final.

Two yellow cards in one game equal a red card. You may think I’m making a mountain out of a molehill.

Far from it. Khune is a big deal. He is a superhero to many children across the length and breadth of our country.

They hold him in high regard. They idolise him. And idols can do no wrong in the eyes of those who idolise them.

What’s worse is that a contract overseas is something Khune so dearly craves. There is always someone watching, but no one wants to sign a nut job.

Khune has done well to build his brand. He doesn’t need this nonsense dripping of brat conduct.

It smacks of believing your own hype, a dangerous terrain to traverse leading to a world where you start believing you can do no wrong and the world revolves around your nether regions.

It is an element of his game that stinks like skunk and will not attract new sponsors like bees to honey.

Instead they’ll avoid him like the plague and he’ll move from somebody to nobody in the blink of an eye.

Khune will do well to take the French fries out of his nostrils and just get on with it.

No one is bigger than the game. Not Irvin Khoza. Not Kaizer Motaung. Not Danny Jordaan. Not Patrice Motsepe.

Football brings fame and fortune and and and...

But don’t be taken in by it all. Keep your feet on the ground oh Humble One and get that contract overseas. Khune must not become his own worst enemy.

He’s a rebel without a cause — barking will not change the mind of a whistleman