Itumeleng Khune is delighted to be back on the pitch for Chiefs but admits his side have conceded some very avoidable goals of late.
The veteran goalkeeper got a lot of stick last week after Amakhosi lost by a 2-1 score-line to Cape Town City in their DStv Premiership clash. A result that ended an eight match unbeaten run in all competitions.
Even in the course of their ‘unbeaten run’, Chiefs were struggling to move up the table, with a number of stalemates part of their results. However, they have since maintained a good run in the CAF Champions League where they booked a spot in the quarterfinals of the competition for the first time in their history.
Khune spoke on his side’s recent slump and says they must remain focused if they want to finish the season in the top eight.
“It’s good to be back playing and competing. Yes, we have been playing well, it’s just that the results haven’t been coming our way,” said Khune, who has been out for a few weeks following the tragic loss of his sister.
“We really have to dig deeper because there’s only eight games left of the season. Sundowns have been doing well, but we are focusing on ourselves and our game plan, taking the opportunities that we are creating,” Khune told the media.
“It hasn’t been an easy season from the start, but we are still fighting for the badge. We just need to minimise the mistakes, we concede through lapses of concentration. We are conceding silly goals and I think we can avoid that, but it takes the whole team to stay focused and switched on throughout the 90 minutes. As a goalkeeper you obviously have to lead from the back. We have the belief hence we went eight matches without defeat. So we are going to war because we want to get into the Top 8.”
Currently, Chiefs find themselves in 11th position, three points behind eighth placed Baroka. Amakhosi are now without a win in their last three games and face another herculean trip in their next encounter when they take on leaders Sundowns.