Lack of goalkeepers affecting Bafana

THE selection of the Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune in the Bafana Bafana squad that will face Ghana in two weeks’ time has caused a huge outcry.

South African soccer fans are complaining that Khune is off-form, therefore he does not deserve to be included in the national team squad. There is merit in this claim, but South African soccer fans need to remember that this country has a limited supply of good goalkeepers who can play for Bafana Bafana.

At the moment only Ronwen Williams of SuperSport and Khune of Kaizer Chiefs are proven goalkeepers for Bafana Bafana. Although Sifiso Mlungwana of Golden Arrows and Veli Mothwa of AmaZulu are also good goalkeepers, they lack experience playing at international level.

Our problem as a country is that out top teams in the PSL prefer foreign goalkeepers over local talent and as a result, local goalkeepers do not get sufficient opportunities to showcase their talents.

For example, Mamelodi Sundowns has Denis Onyango of Uganda, Orlando Pirates has Richard Ofori of Ghana, Moroka Swallows has Virgil Vries of Namibia, and Cape Town City has Peter Leeuwenburgh of the Netherlands.

If all these teams continue to ignore local talent, it means Bafana Bafana will always experience problems when it comes to the availability of good goalkeepers.

South Africa has raw talent, but PSL clubs ignore it. The PSL and club bosses need to come up with a solution to solve the problem of the lack of good goalkeepers who can play for Bafana Bafana.