Bernard Parker has voiced his frustration about the unjust treatment he faced from Kaizer Chiefs fans near the conclusion of his career.

Despite his considerable contributions to the team, he faced criticism for a perceived lack of goal-scoring.

The current coach of TS Galaxy’s DStv Diski Challenge noted that he dedicated himself fully at Chiefs—Parker was the last player to net four goals for the club (against AmaZulu in the 2012/13 season at the Moses Mabhida Stadium), the most recent player to claim the PSL Golden Shoe for Chiefs (2013/14 season), and scored the crucial goal in the Nedbank Cup final against SuperSport United at the Moses Mabhida Stadium during the 2012/13 season.

“It was unjust,” Parker remarked to Sportswire in Durban while participating in the Carling Black Label #NoExcuse campaign on Tuesday.

“It was honestly unfair considering my role as an attacker for the club. While people labeled me a striker, I primarily played as an attacking player, often taking on the roles of a supporting striker, a number 10, or occasionally out wide.

“Nonetheless, my true strength lay in creating scoring chances, scoring goals, and collaborating with my teammates to secure the league title and other trophies.”

Furthermore, Parker holds the record as the all-time leading goalscorer for Chiefs in the PSL, boasting an impressive 61 goals in 364 matches across all competitions, along with 40 assists.

After surpassing Siphiwe Tshabalala’s record as the top scorer for Chiefs in the PSL era, Parker was close to breaking Tshabalala’s record for the most appearances in Soweto Derbies—31 matches, in which he scored two goals. Tshabalala still holds the record with 31 appearances in this historic rivalry in South Africa.

“Additionally, achieving personal milestones over the past two decades is quite extraordinary, as not many players stay with Chiefs for such a long time,” Parker expressed. He joined the club prior to the 2012/13 season and departed after 2021/22.

“I left the club with commendable statistics. However, towards the end of my time at Chiefs, I was shifted to a deeper midfield position.

“It felt unjust to still carry the expectation of goal-scoring duties. When goals became hard to come by and the team struggled, fans’ frustration started to mount.

“I was among the players targeted and critiqued due to the goal drought. It was painful to think back on how I was unfairly scrutinized by supporters considering the club’s lack of success.

“I sought the guidance of a life coach who highlighted, ‘Do you realize you are only four goals shy of becoming Chiefs’ all-time leading scorer?’ That made me understand that I still had a chance to enhance my career statistics.

“I began to focus on scoring more often, as demonstrated by my assist to Khama Billiat; it felt like a goal to me because I facilitated it.

“I made the choice to concentrate on finding the back of the net more frequently and ultimately became Chiefs’ all-time goalscorer during a challenging period for the club.

“I take pride in leaving the club with impressive numbers. Yet, it felt somewhat unfair and hurtful to be criticized, especially during crucial moments. As senior players, we needed more support, which would have positively influenced the younger players.”

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