Jose Riveiro praised Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine for his crucial performance in their Nedbank Cup quarterfinal penalty shootout victory against SuperSport United.
The Bafana Bafana backup goalkeeper made two vital saves during the penalty shootout at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, helping the Buccaneers secure a 5-4 win after a 2-2 draw at the end of both normal and extra time.
“It’s his (Chaine’s) role in the penalty shoot-out. He has to stay there between the posts and try to catch at least one more than the opponent. He’s been doing well in that scenario on recent occasions in penalties,” Riveiro said after Chaine’s heroics in the shootout against SuperSport.
“He did an excellent job, together with the analysis department with the goalkeeper coach (Tyron Damon), with everyone in that space, helping him to make the right decisions.”
Bafana coach Hugo Broos is likely to be without captain and number one goalkeeper Ronwen Williams for this month’s Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Bafana will take on Lesotho at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium next week Friday, before traveling to Ivory Coast four days later to face Benin. Winning both games is crucial for Bafana, as it would move them a step closer to qualifying for the finals in North America next year.
If Williams is unavailable, Broos will have to rely on all three back-up goalkeepers – Chaine, Ricardo Goss, and Sage Stephens – for the two crucial games.
All three have been performing well for their respective clubs – Pirates, SuperSport United, and Stellenbosch – but Chaine appears to have a slight advantage.
The 28-year-old featured in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 qualifiers, conceding two goals in Bafana’s 3-2 victory over South Sudan in injured Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Williams’ absence. Though his debut wasn’t flawless, and discussions about South Africa’s goalkeeping depth continued, Chaine has since shown immense improvement.
Since his international debut, the gloveman has been in superb form in all competitions. As well as his Nedbank Cup heroics, Chaine has played a key role in the Buccaneers reaching the CAF Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face MC Alger.
Chaine will have another opportunity to put pressure on Williams for the coveted Bafana jersey as it is unlikely that the national team captain will return from injury in time for the crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers next shift their attention to the Betway Premiership, with two challenging fixtures: first, they will face Stellenbosch on Monday at 7:30 pm at Athlone Stadium, followed by a home match against Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Sunday.