"They only think of their pockets": Itumeleng Khune's blunt take on agents
- Martin T
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana legend Itumeleng Khune has delivered a candid and strong warning to young footballers, advising them to be wary of agents, stating bluntly, "They only think of their pockets."
Having built a legendary career spanning over two decades with Chiefs since joining the club in 1996 as a youngster from a town in North West named Ventersdorp, former Khune captivated fans with his exceptional reflex saves and impressive ball-playing.
Reflecting on his celebrated journey, the seasoned shot-stopper recently advised young players to prioritise investments and financial literacy over relying solely on football agents.
Khune himself was the last goalkeeper to lift silverware for Chiefs, securing the league and MTN8 in the 2014/15 season, before the Glamour Boys ended their decade-long trophy drought with a 2-1 Nedbank Cup final win against Orlando Pirates a fortnight ago at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
“Learning about finances is very important because, as footballers, we tend to think that we have agents,” said Khune. “I don’t mean to downgrade the agents or talk bad, but towards the end of my career, I stopped having an agent, and I started seeing growth in my bank account.
"When I was still under an agency, I thought they were doing the job, but all they did was to come and sign a three-year contract with the team, and you sign a two-year contract with them. So they get their share of money, and they forget completely about you because you’re not their only player. They would rather have five different goalkeepers, playing for different teams."
Khune added: "And when a club approaches an agent and says we need a goalkeeper, he has to choose from the five as to which one he is taking.
“So I feel like agents have wasted my time, and if I knew that at a young age, I would be far by now. Players always run to agents for advice, yet agents only think of their pockets.”
