ORLANDO Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine has an opportunity to break the PSL' all-time cleansheets record.
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Eighteen clean sheets – and counting. It has been quite a Betway Premiership season for Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, even though I believe he can still improve as a person and teammate.
Chaine etched his name into the history books this week. He kept another clean sheet, equalling the PSL all-time record held by Ronwen Williams, while also surpassing Pirates’ 2009/10 tally, which he had previously shared with Moeneeb Josephs.
As a student of the game, I can confidently say Chaine has paid his dues over the years on the pitch. His transition from a young prospect into a commanding figure at Pirates has been one of the standout aspects of his career.
It was not an easy journey to the top. Chaine arrived at Pirates as third choice behind first-choice goalkeeper Richard Ofori and veteran Siyabonga Mpontshane.
However, through hard work – combined with Ofori’s injury struggles and Mpontshane’s dip in form – an opportunity opened for Chaine. He grabbed it with both hands and never looked back.
Of course, his journey was not without family support. So, when his mother, Faniswa, passed away in March, it understandably took an emotional toll on him. Yet instead of allowing the setback to break him, he used it as motivation to continue making her proud.
And he certainly did.
Chaine was recognised as the PSL Goalkeeper of the Season last campaign, beating Williams to the award – further proof of how far he has come.
I had the privilege of spending time with Chaine in the UK after his Bloemfontein Celtic reserve side earned a tour by winning the MultiChoice Diski Challenge, now known as the DStv Diski Challenge.
Even then, he carried a strong presence both on and off the field. The fact that he was already involved with the first team under the charismatic Steve Komphela was evident.
Being exposed to top-flight football and its demands at an early age both helped and slightly disadvantaged Chaine. On the positive side, it allowed him to transition successfully from Celtic to Royal AM, Chippa United and eventually Pirates.
However, along the way, he at times appeared to develop an “I know it all” attitude, which occasionally overshadowed his hard work on the field.
I can recall moments when media interviews became debates instead of conversations, with journalists simply trying to understand the story behind his rapid rise. Some colleagues even vowed never to interview him again.
Fortunately, that perception gradually improved as Chaine matured.
Still, there have recently been noticeable confrontations with teammates on the pitch, often requiring intervention from fellow players or members of the technical team. It was not a good look.
Granted, being a goalkeeper can be the loneliest position on the field, and communication is part of the responsibility. But at times, it seemed Chaine was delivering his message the wrong way.
When Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos left him out of the previous national team camp, the decision hinted at concerns around discipline, because his performances and clean-sheet record at club level certainly justified selection.
Yet not all is lost.
Over the past few months, Chaine has gone about his business with greater discipline – both between the posts and in his interactions with teammates – almost as though he took Broos’ comments about the need for “introspection” to heart.
The coming days could become even more special for him. He now has the chance to set a new PSL clean-sheet record while helping Pirates chase a league title and domestic treble for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
Such achievements would further strengthen his case for inclusion in Bafana Bafana’s squad for the Fifa World Cup next month.
If all of that becomes reality, Chaine must remember one important lesson: reaching the top is difficult, but staying there is even harder because it requires discipline.
Still, he has grown – and the ball is firmly in his court.