Why Chaine prioritizes Pirates over Bafana No. 1 race

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine has explained why his focus is entirely on his club, not on challenging Ronwen Williams for the number-one spot in the Bafana Bafana squad.

Despite his stellar 2024/25 season with the Buccaneers—where he was named the Betway Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season—Chaine has consistently been the second-choice goalkeeper for the national team.

While Pirates have had a mixed start to the new 2025/26 league campaign, losing two of their first three matches, Chaine played a key role in their run to a fourth consecutive MTN8 final. They edged Sundowns in the two-legged semi-final just before the FIFA international break.

When asked if he plans to challenge Williams during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations, the 28-year-old was clear about his priorities.

“I think the opportunity for me is to play every domestic game,” Chaine said. “It’s all I can control, to be better in every game that I play for Orlando Pirates. And without the team, there’s no possibility of anything else outside that.”

Chaine emphasized that his goal is to continue to improve his performance at the club level.

“My full focus is to get better in each and every game that I play, to be a better goalkeeper like I said earlier, and that is my sole aim this season, forgetting what we did last season and focusing on what else it is that I can do this season.”

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