Changing colours Khuzwayo seeks brilliance for Bucs
Goalkeeper sizes up the challenge awaiting him at Bucs
● Brilliant Khuzwayo is ready to reinvent himself and rise to the top of the steep Orlando Pirates goalkeepers’ pecking order.
The 1.9m tall former Kaizer Chiefs player is showing off a lot of exuberance, confidence and promise as he reflects on his decision to directly join Chiefs’ rivals, a feat that’s been attained by a select few over the past 48 years of the two clubs’ rivalry.
Khuzwayo candidly spoke to the Sunday Times at the Pirates’ Players Award ceremony in Rivonia, Johannesburg, on Thursday.
It was at this shindig that Khuzwayo looked up in awe as Musa Nyatama, the team’s grafter in midfield, crowned his amazing season by winning the club’s top awards: the Fans Player of the Season, Players’ Player and Player of the Season.
As Nyatama went to the podium to collect one of his awards, Khuzwayo stopped him to hug and shake hands — perhaps another indication of how deep Khuzwayo was pondering his own coming first season with the Buccaneers.
“I can’t help but praise and admire Musa for what he’s managed to do in his first season with the club,” said Khuzwayo.
“If I can do as well as he did, play 30 league matches in my first season, I will be more than happy. But I know that that’s not an easy task at all, especially for a goalie at Pirates.”
When he joined Pirates, Khuzwayo was taken aback and had mixed emotions when the club decided to hand him the late Senzo Meyiwa’s No 1 jersey.
Meyiwa, who was shot dead at his girlfriend’s home in Johannesburg in October 2014, was Khuzwayo’s homeboy from Umlazi, Durban, and they had a close relationship amid their team’s intense competition.
“I want to thank the club for giving me Senzo’s jersey, which has No 1 at the back,” said Khuzwayo. “I feel honoured. It’s a heavy jersey and a heavy number.
“It places a lot of responsibility and challenge on my shoulders. The only way I can honour Senzo will be to do well at Pirates when I’m on the field wearing his jersey.”
Khuzwayo is very cautious about talking himself up as a shoo-in for the jersey. He’s had many disappointments at Chiefs, where he played second fiddle to Itumeleng Khune for six years.
In those years it was only in 2014 when Khune was injured that Khuzwayo featured mostly for Chiefs, playing 15 matches. In total he started 29 league matches for Chiefs.
Khuzwayo says having Meyiwa’s number on his shirt will inspire him to work harder than he ever did since he turned professional at AmaZulu FC in 2011.
“What’s more important is the team, not just myself,” said Khuzwayo. “Obviously I would like to play a bigger role in the team’s success but I know that I need to work harder to achieve that.”
The gloveman spoke glowingly of the three goalkeepers — Siyabonga Mpontshane, Wayne Sandilands and Jackson Mabokgwane — that he will compete with at Pirates.
“I hope there will be healthy competition and respect for one another,” he said. “I expect no favours from the technical team. I just hope my hard work at training and during matches will be recognised and rewarded for what it is where it matters most.”
It was the frustration at not being given enough game time between the sticks at Chiefs which prompted Khuzwayo to air his displeasure on Twitter towards the end of his time at Naturena.
“No matter how hard you work, if you are not in the frame you’ll never be noticed,” was the tweet that led some Chiefs followers to questioning his commitment.
The tweet also got Khuzwayo into trouble with the Chiefs management but it later emerged that he had already made up his mind about his next move.
Khuzwayo believes winning the spot at Pirates will likely revive his Bafana Bafana career and add to the three caps he earned in 2012 and 2015.
“Obviously one of my dreams is to get back into the national team. But I know that for that to happen I need to earn the position at my club,” he said.
As we wrapped up the interview Khuzwayo was awake enough to produce an outstanding save when he was asked to comment on his liaison with Babes Wodumo (Bongekile Simelane), the eThekwini Gqom Queen he’s romantically linked with.
“I think that is outside of football and work-related issues. I will reserve my comment on that one,” gushed Khuzwayo with the gusto which will make many a Pirates fan happy if he can deliver it on the field.