Bernard Parker has expressed his disappointment over the unfair treatment he received from Kaizer Chiefs fans towards the end of his career.

Despite his significant contributions to the club, he was criticized for a perceived lack of goalscoring.

The now TS Galaxy DStv Diski Challenge coach said he did all he could at Chiefs – being the last player to score four goals for Chiefs (against AmaZulu in the 2012/13 season at the Moses Mabhida Stadium), the last player to clinch the PSL Golden Shoe for Chiefs in the PSL (2013/14 season) and the last time Chiefs won the Nedbank Cup, Parker scored a winning goal as they beat SuperSport United in the final at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, catching Ronwen Williams on the turn before he fired the goal in the 2012/13 season.  

“It was unfair,” Parker replied to Sportswire in Durban as he was part of the Carling Black Label #NoExcuse campaign on Tuesday.

“It was really unfair looking at what I have done at the club as an attacker. People would say I was a striker, but I was more of an attacker, supporting striker, as a number 10 and sometime play on the wing.  

“But I was lot more effective in terms of creating goal-scoring opportunities, scoring goals, helping the club with the rest of the other guys to win the league, to win many trophies as well.”  

On top of that, Parker is Chiefs all-time goal scorer in the PSL, having plundered 61 in 364 matches in all competitions along with 40 assists.  

Additionally, as he broke the record of Siphiwe Tshabalala as Chiefs all-time goal scorer in the PSL era, Parker came close to surpass Tshabalala’s record of appearing in the most Soweto Derbies – which was 30 and scored two goals. Shabba appeared in 31, which is the record in the storied match in the South Africa.  

“And also achieving personal records as well in the last two decades and not many players would stay at Chiefs for so many years,” added Parker, who arrived at Chiefs ahead of 2012/13 season before leaving in the 2021/22 season. 

“And leave the club with stats and it was great stats, big stats. But later on, in my time at Chiefs, I was deployed playing in the midfielder, a deeper role.  

“But it is unfair that I was still tagged with goal scoring duties. When goals were not coming, the team was doing badly, the fans got frustrated. 

“I was one of the players that got picked off and judged because there were no goals. So, I was so hurt to reflect on myself as well and say this is how I have been unfairly judged by the supporters because of the club’s results were not coming.  

“I took on a life coach and the life coach told me ‘Do you realize that you are four goals before you become the all-time goal scorer of Chiefs? It was when I realised I could add other stats to my career.  

“I started to be selfish and you guys might have seen when I assist, how I jumped on Khama Billiat, it felt like it’s my goal because I was assisting them.  

“I said to myself – maybe I should be little bit selfish and score goals myself and I tried and it worked and I became the all-time goals scorer for Chiefs during the drought. 

“I’m proud to say that I left the club with clean stats. But as I said, it was a little bit unfair, little a pain (to be criticised) and it came at the crucial time. As a senior guys, we needed more support and that would have rubbed off to the youngsters.” 

Parker’s impact extends beyond Chiefs. He is a Bafana Bafana legend, ranking among the top five all-time goal scorers for the national team with 23 goals in 72 appearances.