Renaldo Leaner rejects claims of SA goalkeeping crisis, urges foreigners to join PSL

Sekhukhune United’s No. 1, Renaldo Leaner, has dismissed claims of a goalkeeping crisis in the country, while encouraging foreign shot-stoppers to come to the PSL for career opportunities.

Bafana Bafana captain and No. 1, Ronwen Williams, has been in superb form for the team. He helped the national team finish third at AFCON 2023, and played a key role in helping the team automatically qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup following an impressive 25-game unbeaten run.

However, whenever Williams was absent due to injury, the Bafana goalkeeping department appeared vulnerable, with his back-ups struggling to maintain clean sheets.

That led some members of the football fraternity to believe the country had a goalkeeping crisis. However, Leaner, who has also tasted international football – keeping a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Tanzania in an international friendly last year – begged to differ.

“At the moment, I don’t think we have a goalkeeping crisis,” Leaner said. “We have a lot of goalkeepers who have raised their hands and shown that South Africa has good goalkeepers.

“There’s Brandon Petersen (at Kaizer Chiefs), myself, and Darren Johnson (at AmaZulu). There are quite a number of quality South African goalkeepers at the moment.

“I feel like when people say there was a goalkeeping crisis in the league, it’s because a lot of foreigners were No. 1s, while local keepers were lower in the pecking order.

“It’s just a matter of getting your opportunity and showing what you can do. I believe that South Africa has good goalkeepers.”

The debate over the goalkeeping crisis divided members of the football fraternity, with some arguing that the PSL and Safa should implement laws to ensure domestic clubs only field local goalkeepers, while others believed that having shot-stoppers from all walks of life strengthens competition and builds character and ability.

Leaner weighed in on the topic, saying: “I don’t agree with that debate because football is a business, and we are all employees. If I say goalkeepers must only be South African, I am taking work away from foreign goalkeepers.

“If they get an opportunity to come and play in South Africa, they must play. As South African goalkeepers, we just have to work harder, compete with them, and show that we can do better.

“I don’t believe in rules, like in Egypt, where only their goalkeepers must play. Football is a universal language for everyone to enjoy and play.”

Leaner is speaking from personal experience. He didn’t get to be No. 1 by chance at Babina Noko; instead, he’s had to learn from internationals Toaster Ntsabata (Zambia) and Manuel Sapunga (Equatorial Guinea) and compete for his spot.

As a result, Leaner says he’s privileged to be competing with the duo for a starting berth, as it has pushed him to be at his best in every passing game.

“I don’t think there’s another club that also has three internationals. Training with two internationals – me being an international myself – is a good thing for us,” Leaner said.

“As a goalkeeper, when you are playing regularly, you can become complacent. Knowing that when you get a chance you have to show your ability keeps you on your toes because the next one is ready. He’s international, experienced, and can do exactly what you are doing.”

*Mihlali Baleka is Independent Media's senior football reporter and a panelist on the group's soccer podcast, The D-Line, which is exclusive on our YouTube channel The Clutch