Chiefs legend ready to grow

DOCTOR Khumalo’s departure from Kaizer Chiefs brings to an end, for now, not just a beautiful relationship between the one-time darling of South Africa’s soccer fans and the country’s biggest club‚ but also with its chairman‚ Kaizer Motaung.

Khumalo said it was a meeting he was called to by Motaung last week and the chairman’s blessings there and advice that to grow – perhaps the once magnificent Chiefs midfielder would have to leave – that made up his mind to join Baroka FC as technical director.

It has been a Premier Soccer League off-season of bombshells – Benni McCarthy becoming Cape Town City head coach‚ Steven Pienaar joining Wits‚ Quinton Fortune on the verge of becoming Bafana Bafana assistant coach.

Khumalo’s announcement on Thursday eclipsed all of those.

“August 15 marked the turning point of my new chapter on this journey of the beautiful game‚” the source of creative midfield genius of Bafana Bafana’s 1996 Africa Cup of Nationswinning team said.

Khumalo said he heeded Motaung’s advice that it was time to grow and took the decision to leave what had become too great a comfort zone.

“Making this kind of decision and [taking] this kind of step wasn’t easy‚” Khumalo said.

“Look‚ this was the only team that I grew up playing for or supporting. And I must commend the chairman for allowing me this opportunity.

“It wasn’t easy for me to be facing him‚ listening to him telling me all these good things about me growing the brand and all that.

“It’s only for me to say that I really appreciate what he has done for me in my career‚ and what he is doing now to show support for what I envisage in terms of growing my brand.”

Khumalo was born into a Chiefs family. Father Eliakim “Pro” Khumalo‚ murdered in a hijacking in 1996, was a 1970s star of the club.

As a player with a sublime right-footed pass and silky‚ Zinedine Zidane-like skill on the field and understanding of branding off it‚ Khumalo became one of South African soccer’s first media superstars.

His and Chiefs’ immense brands benefited from each other.

Making this kind of decision wasn’t easy