World Cup, a tournament like no other – Itu Khune’s advice to the current generation

By Velile Mnyandu
4th June 2026

The football World Cup is an event like no other, and requires the players to be mentally, physically, and emotionally ready at all times. This is how Bafana Bafana and Kaizer Chiefs legend Itumeleng Khune sees the big spectacle, after having been part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

Khune was part of a different team that had players plying their trade at home and also with some key talent from overseas, like captain Aaron Mokoena and Steven Pienaar. But with the current crop, it’s predominantly locally based, and they need this advice.

"Going into the bigger stage, like the World Cup, you become nervous. You don't know what to expect in your first game, so you just have to control your emotions because each day comes with different challenges. Remember, even the training schedule starts to change, perhaps because we were overloaded a couple of months before," said Khune.

READ: Kagisho Dikgacoi expresses concerns over Bafana Bafana preparations

"Like I shared in my story, we went to Germany for a month because we were going to play in the World Cup in June, so we went to train and play friendlies in Germany, and then we went to a warm-up place in Brazil."

Unlike the current Bafana Bafana team, the 2010 team had a rigorous preparation phase in Germany and Brazil and had a series of top-class friendlies in the process. Khune says that part of the preparations closer to the tournament is crucial.

Khune played against Mexico and Uruguay and was sent off in the second game against the South Americans, with Moeneeb “Slimkat” Josephs wrapping up the tournament against France in Bloemfontein.

During the 2010 World Cup, Khune was the number one goalkeeper, and he says competition was also very tight for them as well. The former Bafana Bafana captain said at some stage he hoped that coach Hugo Broos would go with four goalkeepers, but with injuries in the camp, it was going to be difficult to go ahead with that.

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen had really pushed this past season, to be part of the final selection. But Khune also admits that the trio of captain Ronwen Williams, Sipho Chaine, and Ricardo Goss had been together in the national team for a longer period of between 18-24 months, and coaches consider this.