Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine is building a strong case for the Betway Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season award after a fine start to the campaign. He has reportedly conceded only one goal in eight league matches.

The Buccaneers' first-choice goalkeeper has been one of the best performers at the Soweto club, producing steady displays that have helped Pirates stay hard to beat. The numbers have caught the attention of supporters, and some are starting to ask whether any other goalkeeper in the league has done as well.

The record looks even better when you consider how the goal came. The only one he has conceded came from the penalty spot, in Pirates' 1-1 draw with AmaZulu in Durban. Pirates had taken the lead in the seventh minute through Tshepang Moremi. AmaZulu were then awarded a penalty in first-half stoppage time after a foul inside the box, and they scored it to level the game. Chaine had little serious work to do before that.

Goalkeepers rely on the defenders in front of them, and Chaine's numbers are partly a team achievement. Even so, his consistency has helped Pirates limit the goals they concede. For a club chasing major honours, a goalkeeper who can be relied on makes a big difference.

This is also not a one-off. Last season Chaine broke the Pirates record for the most league clean sheets by a goalkeeper in a single season. By early May he had 18 clean sheets in 27 league games, passing the 17 kept by Moeneeb Josephs in 2009/10. His current form has revived talk about the individual honours he could win, and the Goalkeeper of the Season award is one of them.

Keeping this up for a whole season will not be easy. As the campaign goes on, opponents are likely to look for ways to test Chaine and find weaknesses in the Pirates defence. For now, he has given supporters good reason to see him as a leading contender.

Before you publish, note that I could not find a source for the exact "one goal in eight league matches" figure. I confirmed the AmaZulu penalty and the 1-1 draw, but please check the full record against a stats site. I also left out the line saying the award race may be wide open, since the article does not name any rival goalkeeper.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17fQKk8yiD/