Chaine kept on his toes by stiff competition among goalkeepers at Pirates

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine says competition for places has helped him to improve his game. 

Chaine has made eleven appearances for the Buccaneers but acknowledges his place is not guaranteed as Richard Ofori, Kopano Thuntsane and Siyabonga Mpontshane are also pushing for starting places. 

Looking back at his run between the poles as they prepared to take on SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium, Chaine said playing for Pirates comes with responsibility. 

“It has been really good coming to a big club like Orlando Pirates where there is so much responsibility. It hasn’t been easy, it’s never going to be easy coming in to work with the quality goalkeepers that we have here like Ofori, Thuntsane and Mpontshane. 

“They push me to be the best that I can be and I do the same for them, so it has been a good experience for me. I take a day at a time, one training session at a time just to get better than the last game. 

“There is a lot to learn at training, there are certain things that they will show you because they have been in the game for a long time. It starts with you and how much you demand from yourself and how much you are willing to push yourself to get to the next level.  

“There is never the right time to feel like his is the right time to go. It’s for you as a player to thrive under pressure and see how you best you work under those circumstances.” 

Pirates have been eliminated from the race to win the DStv Premiership championship and Chaine said they started the campaign on a wrong footing, but their mission remains second place. 

“We didn’t start the season well, but we built into it and got better. Coming into this weekend against SuperSport United is also about three points to see where we will end up.” 

Chaine also weighed in on the new phenomenon of ball playing goalkeepers and he admitted the game is evolving. 

“The game evolves, the game moves, if you are talking about modern football then players should also have modern traits. We move as the game moves, it is not about me as a player but it's about where the game is going. 

“Every player has his attributes, has his strengths and weaknesses and it is how you apply yourself at big club like Orlando Pirates. It is also about how focused you can be at every training session and every game. 

“It is about getting into certain situations to get an advantage, like the coach has already indicated in certain interviews. That is where the game is and where the game is headed.” 

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