Bruce Bvuma unfazed by starting place in CAF final

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma is not losing any sleep over his chances of starting the CAF Champions League final ahead of experienced keepers Itumeleng Khune and Daniel Akpeyi.

As all three Chiefs keepers — Khune, Akpeyi and Bvuma —  have done exceptionally well in the club’s Champions League run, coaches are faced with a difficult task to decide who will start in the decider against Al Ahly at Stade Mohammed V Stadium in Morocco on Saturday (9pm SA time).

The 26-year-old Bvuma made it clear on Tuesday he was not too concerned about whether he will start or not, emphasising the team takes precedence over individual wishes.

“I have been in this position before [not knowing if he’ll play or not], so I will see how things turn out for me. All I have to do is work hard and hope I get a starting nod. However, I am not losing sleep because I know we are all ready and whoever plays will do well,’’ Bvuma said.

“If I don’t play, I will support whoever plays because the most important thing is the team. It’s the team, not Bruce who’s in the final of the Champions League, so the goals of the team are more important.’’

At the start of the season, Bvuma was never in the picture as Khune and Akpeyi made it difficult for him to break into the starting XI. The Bafana keeper only got a chance when both Khune and Akpeyi were sidelined by injuries.

“I started the season as a third choice and I had to work very hard to get game time. Even though I started to play late, it was worth the wait because the games I played were very important and I was happy that I managed to perform,’’ Bvuma reflected.

The lad from Bram Fischerville in Soweto knows how winning the Champions League would boost his CV as a player. Bvuma has a burning desire to dedicate the cup to their chair, Kaizer Motaung.

“Winning the Champions League would mean a lot for me. It would help me in my career in terms of my CV, people would respect me in football. We want to put a star on our jersey and we want to win the cup for our chairman,’’ said the keeper.