Chaine marks Pirates milestone with opening-day clean sheet

Sipho Chaine celebrated a personal milestone as Orlando Pirates began their league campaign with a 2-0 victory over newcomers Milford on Saturday.

The result gave the 29-year-old goalkeeper his first clean sheet in the opening league match of a season since joining the Soweto club.

Chaine had failed to achieve that in each of his previous three campaigns at Orlando Pirates. At the start of the 2023/24 season, he conceded during a defeat by Stellenbosch.

He was beaten again in the opening league fixture of the following season, although Pirates secured a 2-1 victory against Chippa United.

Last term brought another difficult start, as Pirates lost 1-0 to Sekhukhune United in their first league match. That result extended a sequence which had become an unwanted trend for Chaine.

The run finally ended at Orlando Stadium when Pirates kept Milford out to claim three points and hand Chaine his first opening-day league clean sheet for the club.

Clean sheets have been central to Chaine’s progress at Pirates. He kept 21 in 30 league appearances last season, a record that helped him win the Goalkeeper of the Season award.

He played every minute of Pirates’ league campaign last term and did so without missing a match through suspension or injury. In total, he conceded only 12 league goals.

Mamelodi Sundowns were the only side to score against Chaine in both of their league meetings with Pirates last season. Marumo Gallants and Richards Bay FC were the only teams to score twice in a single league match against him.

Chaine’s overall record has also continued to strengthen since he established himself as Pirates’ first-choice goalkeeper. He now has 42 clean sheets in 90 league appearances for the club, meaning his total is approaching half the number of league matches he has played for the Soweto giants.

The goalkeeper initially joined Pirates as their third-choice option before moving up to the substitutes’ bench. He secured the number-one position after being given an opportunity during the second half of the 2022/23 season.

Although Chaine did not play any minutes at the World Cup, his club form last season gave him the best clean-sheet percentage among the 145 goalkeepers who were at the tournament.

His clean-sheet rate in league matches stood at 70%.

Pirates’ victory over Milford therefore offered more than a positive start to the new campaign. It also marked the first time Chaine had opened a league season at the club without conceding, adding another achievement to a period in which he has become one of the team’s most reliable performers.