Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has thrown his weight behind goalkeeper Sipho Chaine, urging Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos to include the record-breaker along with Evidence Makgopa in South Africa’s squad for the FIFA World Cup in the United States.
The call comes after a landmark night for the 28-year-old shot-stopper. Chaine racked up his 18th league clean sheet of the season when Orlando Pirates beat Stellenbosch FC 2-0 at Athlone Stadium on Tuesday, breaking the club’s single-season clean sheet record previously held by Moeneeb Josephs, who kept 17 during the 2009/10 campaign under coach Ruud Krol.
Speaking after the historic achievement, Ouaddou was unambiguous in his admiration for Chaine and his desire to see him donning the green and gold.
“Chaine is an important player for us and I’m happy for him to break the record, we still have some games [remaining], I hope that Hugo Broos, the national team coach, will see his performances,” Ouaddou said.
“And I really hope he will be part of the national team in the US, he deserves it, [Evidence] Makgopa as well, he did well [against Stellenbosch], so I’m happy for him.”
The Moroccan tactician’s praise was not limited to Chaine’s personal milestone. Ouaddou stressed the importance of a solid defensive foundation in Pirates’ title push, noting that his side has conceded fewer goals — just 12 — than any other team in the league this season.
“If you definitely want to win the title, you really need to have a strong foundation,” he said. “You can’t win the title with a poor defence — that’s a fact.”
A Record Built Over a Remarkable Season
Chaine had earlier etched his name into the record books by becoming the first goalkeeper in Premier Soccer League history to keep 14 clean sheets in just 20 league matches. His consistency has been nothing short of extraordinary, and the numbers have only continued to grow.
Since his arrival from Chippa United, Chaine has played 136 matches across all competitions for Pirates, keeping 60 clean sheets in that time. This season, however, has been his finest by far, cementing his status among the elite goalkeepers in South African football.
The Broos Question
Ouaddou’s plea carries extra weight given the backdrop of Chaine’s recent controversial omission from the national squad. Broos left Chaine out of his squad for the friendly internationals against Panama in March, instead calling up Sekhukhune United’s Renaldo Leaner.
Broos hinted that the exclusion was not purely based on on-field performances, saying: “It’s not only on the pitch, but outside the pitch, and we will see” – a comment widely interpreted as a reference to Chaine’s conduct at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco earlier in the season.
