Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter has confirmed that Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumelemg Khune will not be fit enough in time to make it to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in June.

The 31-year-old shot stopper has not featured for Chiefs since December due to a shoulder problem which saw him undergo surgery and Baxter has admitted he won’t make it to AFCON.

“I was at Naturena (Kaizer Chiefs Village) this week‚ and spoke to Ernst (Amakhosi coach) and the staff there,” Baxter said.

“They said that the training [for Khune] is going very‚ very slowly‚ it’s not in the realms of possibility that he’s going to be anywhere near fit. So that’s discounted.”

Khune’s absence will come as a big blow to Bafana Bafana, who are in arguably the group of death at AFCON, involving Ivory Coast, Morocco and Namibia.