COLOSSAL: Chaine in worldwide claim with top billing status

The Betway Premiership will end on Saturday with Orlando Pirates not only aiming to end their 14-year wait to lift the league trophy but making global claims for Sipho Chaine.

Matchday Global18 May 2026

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While Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine remains not guaranteed of his place in the World Cup squad, the 2025/26 Betway season will linger with memories for him.

Chaine has shaken the goalkeeping status quo of the PSL era years by stretching his clean sheet count to 20 out of 29 league games.

That means a clean sheet in 69% of the matches he has played in the league – impressive by any measure around the globe in goalkeeping conversations.

When Petr Čech set the English Premier League record during the 2004/05 season, he went up to a clean record of 68,57% after not conceding in 24 out of 35 games.

Edwin van der Sar went to 58,33% in the 2008/09 season, while Alisson Becker reached 55,26% in the 2018/19 season for the top three best clean sheet percentages in a single season in the EPL.

Chaine has played every minute in the league at Pirates this season, doing so without any suspension or injury.

That then places him as the face of the forever presents this season as he moves towards completing a clean sweep of minutes with one game to spare.

He has kept it clean against seven clubs – AmaZulu FC, Durban City, Stellenbosch FC, TS Galaxy, Chippa United, Magesi FC, and Orbit College FC, who still have a game to play against Pirates.

The only team to score in both league matches while he was in goals this season has been Mamelodi Sundowns.

Marumo Gallants and Richards Bay FC were both notably able to score twice against Chaine in one match.

His overall clean sheet count in the league while at the Soweto giants is approaching half the number of games that he has played for the club in the Betway Premiership.

These numbers have fed his transfer value rise as he completes his fourth season at the Houghton-based club.

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Chaine has grown his stock from starting as third choice through to sitting on the bench and then firming his grip as the preferred keeper at the club.

From there, he has moved to deputising for Ronwen Williams in the Bafana Bafana squad but hasn’t been given assurances that his place in the World Cup is secured.