With a professional career spanning over two decades, Itumeleng Khune is one of the best goalkeepers of all time in South Africa.
Here is a look at Itumeleng Khune’s net worth and salary, his childhood and educational background as well as his career that has made him millions.
Itumeleng Khune’s net worth and salary
According to several online sources, including Itumeleng Khune’s net worth is estimated to be around $4 million.
He is one of the highest-paid goalkeepers in South Africa and one of the highest-paid players for Kaizer Chiefs. He reportedly takes home a salary of R450,000 per month.
Itumeleng Khune’s background
Itumeleng Khune was born on the 20th of June 1987 in Tshing, Ventersdorp, North West, to Elias and Flora Khune and he is of Tswana heritage.
The top goalie comes from a family of footballers. His father- Elias worked at a mine in Carletonville as a driver and played amateur football as a striker. His younger brother- Lucky Khune is also a professional footballer and has played for several clubs, including Chippa United, Vasco Da Gama and Kaizer Chiefs as a centre-forward.
He reportedly had five siblings but sadly one of his younger sisters- Mapula Khune passed away on the 4th of March 2021 in a mysterious house fire in Ventersdorp in North West.
Itumeleng Khune studied at New Nation, Westridge, St Barnabas, and RW Fick High School. He recently graduated from the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Growing up, Itumeleng Khune’s passion was in the game of cricket and he was heavily influenced by Nicky Boje. He later decided to pursue a career in football so as to make a living to support himself and his family.
Itumeleng Khune’s career
Kaizer Chiefs
Itumeleng Khune began his professional football career in 1999 when he went to Kaizer Chiefs trials. Surprisingly, he started as a defender but he experienced chest problems after a short while and he was reduced to a ball boy.
His skills in diving for balls that had missed the target caught the attention of Terror Sephoa who made him a goalkeeper.
Itumeleng Khune was promoted to the first team as the second-choice goalkeeper in 2004. He had to wait three years for his first chance, which came in the 2007-2008 season after Rowen Fernandez left the club for the German club, Arminia Bielefeld. He was promoted to first goalkeeper and made his Premier Soccer League debut in 2007.
His first season was highly successful and he won the season's defensive player of the year award after a record of only 19 goals in 30 games.
He was assigned as the captain of the club in 2011 replacing Jimmy Tau. He is one of the very few players who have only played for one club throughout their entire careers.
Bafana Bafana
Itumeleng Khue joined the national team, Bafana Bafana, in 2008 as they prepared for the African Nations Cup, but he did not play. He made his debut in March 2008 when they played against Zimbabwe after which he became the preferred goalkeeper for the team.
He remained the preferred goalkeeper and earned the trust after saving a penalty kick out by David Villa at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Khune was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup as Carlos Alberto Parreira's first-choice goalkeeper.
Itumeleng Khune only regained his number-one spot after the 2010 world cup where he had been sent off against Uruguay when he tripped striker Luis Suárez inside the penalty area.
He represented South Africa in the 2013 Afcon where Mali knocked out Bafana in the quarterfinal through penalty shootouts.
Khune captained his team in the 2014 African Nations Championship and in 2016 he was selected to play in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
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