“One of the Luckiest Goalkeepers”: Hlompho Kekana Reveals Why He Couldn’t Score Against Itumeleng Khune
South African football fans have long admired the intense rivalry between Hlompho Kekana and goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.
Despite Kekana’s reputation for scoring from long range, he admits that Khune’s skill and game awareness made it impossible for him to find the back of the net during their clashes on the pitch.
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Itu Khune’s Skill and Game Intelligence
Kekana shared his reflections while serving as a pundit on SABC TV during the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
According to iDiskiTimes, Kekana revealed the reason he never managed to score against goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune during their playing careers. He explained that Khune’s understanding of the game made him exceptionally difficult to beat.
“He is one of the luckiest goalkeepers I’ve ever seen.
He knew his game very well in and out. He knew how to study his opponents and with me, I always knew that I wasn’t going to score against him, simply because he understood the game very well, and he studied the game,” Kekana said.
Kekana emphasized that it was Khune’s ability to anticipate opponents and read the flow of the game that made scoring against him so challenging, even for one of Mamelodi Sundowns’ most lethal midfielders.
Khune Explains the Preparation Behind His Success
Itu Khune, reflecting on those encounters, explained that meticulous planning and analysis were key to his success. He said:
“No, we had a proper planning before every game against all the opponents.
And I knew that every time the ball goes to my skipper [Kekana], I needed to check how far my goalposts were. And I will just turn, face the goalposts and then just sprint.
And by the time I get to the goalposts it’s easy for me to just trap it.”
Khune’s comments highlight the careful strategy and preparation that underpinned his reputation as one of South Africa’s most reliable goalkeepers.
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