From a sparkling Merc to an envious trophy collection, Itumeleng Khune is one of South African football's most recognised figures and five of his prized possession reflects his status both and off the pitch.
A loyal servant to Kaizer Chiefs, the 36-year-old made his professional debut with the Soweto-based side in 2007 and has never looked back as he built a career for himself at which he can look back with immense fondness, making 89 appearances for Bafana Bafana and 345 for his club.
Read: 'Bad boy' Balotelli destroys his R2.3m German machine
Khune has spent a fair portion of his life playing football and the rewards that the beautiful game has given him in exchange for his dedication to it is evident when one takes a closer look at some of his prized possessions.
From winning some of the major domestic trophies that South African football has to offer to representing his national side in the Africa Cup of Nations and a FIFA World Cup and his business ventures off of the pitch, Khune has done it all.
Take a deeper look into some of his most prized possessions:
Trophy collection
As previously mentioned, although Kaizer Chiefs are not considered by many to be the dominant force they once were, Khune was at the club for a long period time and has certainly seen better days. His trophy cabinet will also agree with that sentiment.
Any player of his stature would have won the awards that he has during his playing career, and his collection of individual and team awards are a testament to the level of ability he displayed during his long career.
On the team achievements front, the shot-stopper has won the league three times (in 2005, 2013, and 2015). His cabinet also consists of a fair amount of cup triumphs that include the MTN8, the Nedbank Cup, and the Telkom Knockout Cup (now known as the Carling Knockout).
In 2013, the goalkeeper proved an instrumental figure in his side's league-winning campaign and was subsequently recognised for his immense efforts by being elected as the Footballer of the Season. He also voted as the Player's Player of the Year that year, and inevitably won the Goalkeeper of the Year award.
This, of course, is only some of the accolades he has collected during a prosperous career in which he seemed untouchable while he was at the peak of his powers.
Take a look at his impressive trophy/ award collection here:
Boot collection
For a professional footballer to be at the top of their game, like any other profession, they need the right tools to do so. One can only imagine the variety of boots and gloves a professional footballer must accumulate over their careers especially because once a player hits that professional level and begin making a name for themselves in the sport, they become hot property for a sporting brand in terms of becoming an ambassador for them.
One would also imagine that Khune would have had a host of suitors that all wanted him to wear their brand. Nevertheless, Khune has a wardrobe filled with various types of boots that he has amassed over the course of his career.
Fortunately for his followers, he had once taken to Instagram to share his impressive collection of boots that consisted mostly of different Nike boots but there were also a few that had the adidas log on them, making his wardrobe even more impressive.
Spot the various boots in his collection here:
Prized Mercedes
Khune is also said to own a beautiful Mercedes... among other cars. However, his white Merc stands out as one of his best because, very much like himself, it immediately catches the attention of onlookers and is a timeless piece of high-performing art.
To own a 2018 C Class like his will cost someone around R470 000 round to own, according to AutoTrader, which would make it a prized possession for anybody! With its sleek rims, a sparkling paintjob, a sun roof that makes the car the perfect summer cruiser, it would be on of the highest ranked cars in any garage.
Confirmed status as a keeper with some of the best distribution in the world
Mzansi knows that Khune's ball distribution from inside his own is of the very best in the world! The way the veteran keeper can pick out a pass that will launch the attack and immediately put his team on the front foot after absorbing some pressure.
In 2021, he was recognised as a goalkeeper with excellent distribution when his FIFA card came out and it was seen that he had been given 90 out of 99 for kicking ability. Only Manuel Neuer and Manchester City star Ederson were rated higher than him.
"#Distribution101 made it to the Top 3 Best Kicking Goalkeepers in the World #ClassIsPermanent," he wrote on Instagram at the time.
View his memorable card here:
The Danup deal
Khune was also a brand ambassador and essentially the face of a dairy product called Danup which is believed to have been a lucrative one for him, and really marked his intentions of becoming a mogul in the business world as he reaches the latter stages of his career.
The keeper first became an ambassador in 2016 and was the face of its promotions until 2021 with South African rugby star Lukhanyo Am becoming the brand's newest face.
Nevertheless, for Khune to have been able to hold onto the deal for about five years shows his ability to become an influencer and an ambassador with his huge Instagram following of 1 million users.
The Chiefs star has also highlighted his desire to become an instrumental business figure in an Instagram post where he shared some of Cristiano Ronaldo's off-field achievements, saying that the Portuguese megastar is his "inspiration when it comes to off the field decisions".
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
WATCH: