Itu Khune blasts Ghana keeper over Mbule strike

Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana legend Itumeleng Khune did not hold back in his assessment of Ghana’s goalkeeping following South Africa’s narrow victory in an international friendly clash at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.

While the headlines belonged to Orlando Pirates midfielder Sipho Mbule, whose stunning strike secured a – win for Bafana Bafana over Ghana’s CHAN team, Khune focused his expert eye on the technical failures of the man between the sticks.

Tactical Brilliance Meets Technical Error

Working as an analyst on SABC Sport, Khune initially praised the tactical movement that led to the goal, noting how Evidence Makgopa’s positioning dragged the Ghanaian defence out of place, allowing Mbule the space to flourish in his No. 10 role.

“Before I got to the keeper, we saw how confident Sipho was,” Khune remarked. “Makgopa is not a no.9, he dropped in, and the defence focuses on the no.9, then it opened up for Sipho and what a great strike.”

However, the praise stopped there as Khune turned his attention to Ghana shot-stopper Lawrence Osei, labelling his performance as fundamentally flawed.

⚽️ 𝕀ℕ𝕋𝔼ℝℕ𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ𝔸𝕃 𝔽ℝ𝕀𝔼ℕ𝔻𝕃𝕐 ⚽️

🥅 ⒼⓄⒶⓁ: Vrrrr pha! That goal by Sipho “MasterChef” Mbule was super CHARGED!

🇿🇦 1⃣➖0⃣ 🇬🇭

🚨 LIVE
📺 SABC 2
🌐 https://t.co/26PdrPrVLc#SABCSportFootball #ChargedAfrica pic.twitter.com/fAAjFG0Y8v

— SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) December 16, 2025

The Itu Khune Breakdown of a Save

Khune, renowned for his distribution and technical shot-stopping during his prime, dismantled Osei’s attempt to save Mbule’s long-range effort, citing several amateur mistakes.

“The goalkeeper, poor footwork, poor everything,” Khune slammed. “His position is also poor because you can’t dive using both your hands.”

The former Bafana captain explained that the Ghanaian keeper’s choice of technique directly resulted in the ball hitting the back of the net.

“As a goalkeeper, there is a certain height where you’re supposed to use one hand, either the bottom hand or the top hand, to make a save. He went with both, and that didn’t give him enough reach.”

A Final Warning Before AFCON

For Hugo Broos’ side, the win provides a morale boost ahead of their departure for Morocco. However, for the Black Stars’ technical team, Khune’s scathing “masterclass” on goalkeeping errors highlights a glaring weakness they must address before the continental showpiece begins.