South African football icon Brian Baloyi doesn’t believe Kaizer Chiefs’ incumbent number one Bruce Bvuma has the heart to play for the club.
Baloyi came through the ranks at Kaizer Chiefs in the 1990s, and became one of the best players as they won a host of competitions, earning the nickname “Spider-Man” during a 11-year-stay with the club.
After he left, he was replaced by Rowen Fernandez and later Itumeleng Khune, as the club’s goalkeeping situation was in safe hands for almost two decades.
However, in recent years, Chiefs have struggled to find some consistency in between the sticks. Last season, a number of players were entrusted with the gloves, and Bvuma beat out Fiacre Ntwari and Brandon Peterson for the starting job.
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Despite that, Bvuma still struggled, and the pressure resulted in him missing out of the Nedbank Cup final, which Chiefs won after beating Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates.
Speaking on iDiski Dine, Baloyi said Bvuma doesn’t have what it takes to play for big clubs like Chiefs or Pirates.
“You look at Bruce (Bvuma) he has gotten the best training that any kid can ever get (because) he started in the juniors with proper training, but he doesn’t have a big heart,” said Baloyi, who was capped 24 times at international level.
“He doesn’t have the presence, for Pirates and Chiefs. For me, when I look at a goalkeeper, a goalkeeper with talent and technique and stuff, I would overlook them over a goalkeeper that has raw talent.
“If you look at Bruce, yigwala (coward).”
Baloyi also added that when he was the club’s goalkeeper coach back in 2017, he recommended they sign Oscarine Masuluke, but those please went on deaf ears.
“When I was at Chiefs in 2017, Oscarine Masuluke came on trial and when I train him, he said to me, this is the first time I’m getting (proper) goalkeeper coaching,” said Baloyi.
“I looked at him we trained, and he stayed with us for three months. After two months I said to Bobby and Steve (Komphela) sign him they refused.
“And they never understood. And I said to them he has never had goalkeeper training but what he had was presence, and a big heart.
“So, those are some of things that you can overlook over technique especially for a big club.”
Sport
