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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela explained the thinking behind his decision to rest goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune against Jomo Cosmos.
The 28-year-old was conspicuous in his absence as Amakhosi were held to a goalless draw at Olen Park, with many of the club's supporters left wondering why Khune represented Bafana Bafana during the international break but could not turn out for his club.
Added to that, Khune had missed Chiefs' previous four fixtures with a minor injury, but was, nonetheless, deemed fit enough to represent his country against Costa Rica and Honduras.
And, Komphela has now revealed Khune played for Bafana despite not having fully recovered from the injury that has kept him out of contention for Chiefs.
"The issue of Itu was one, he has always had a little bit of a niggling injury and two, he travelled to Honduras and at the back of that long travel, there was a submission he also made with our members," Komphela was quoted as saying by KickOff.
"From the hours he travelled, his ankles were actually swollen and it is a combination of injury, the travel and the play.
"Why I'm saying that is because he had only one training session before we could go and play the next match which was Cosmos.
"It is very important to manage your goalkeepers. We got three top class goalkeepers. Reyaad Pieterse - you can't question his ability and all the matches he played he has been doing tremendously well.
"Brilliant Khuzwayo, before he got injured, was on top of his game and the previous season when we won the Absa Premiership title, the two were highly influential in performances of the club and Itu was injured then."
