Sekhukhune United are reportedly open to listening to offers for goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner, who has been linked with Kaizer Chiefs.
The club’s willingness to sell Leaner reportedly stems from their recent acquisition of two international goalkeepers – Toaster Nsabata, Zambia’s national team goalkeeper, and Manuel Sapunga, the keeper for Equatorial Guinea, who recently joined from Polokwane City FC.
The two reinforcements provide Babina Noko with squad depth in the goalkeeping department, making Leaner available for transfer. Amakhosi coach Nasreddine Nabi is known to admire Leaner, whose stellar performances towards the end of the 2024/25 season have garnered attention.
His form saw him outperform former Sekhukhune keepers Badra Ali Sangare of Ivory Coast and Lloyd Kazapua of Namibia, both of whom were subsequently released by the club.
The 27-year-old’s impressive displays earned him a well-deserved call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad in May for the international friendlies against Tanzania and Mozambique in June.
According to Transfermarkt, he conceded nine goals in nine matches across all competitions, securing two clean sheets. His crucial contributions helped Babina Noko achieve a commendable fourth-place finish in the Betway Premiership.
A particularly notable performance was his Man-of-the-Match display against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup in March, where he made nine vital saves. His performances clearly caught the eye of top coaches, with Hugo Broos selecting him alongside Orlando Pirates’ Sipho Chaine and SuperSport United’s Ricardo Goss for the national squad.
NO OFFICIAL INQUIRY FOR RENALDO LEANER FROM KAIZER CHIEFS
While reports suggest Chiefs are keen on Leaner, Sekhukhune has yet to receive an official inquiry.
The Soweto giants are currently facing challenges in their goalkeeping department, relying on Brandon Petersen, Bruce Bvuma, and Fiacre Ntwari, the latter of whom has struggled to establish himself since his move from TS Galaxy. As such, Amakhosi remain actively in search of a definitive first-choice goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Babina Noko defender Daniel Cardoso believes the goalkeeping department at the club is one of the strongest in terms of depth.
“Even last season, the competition was tough [in the goalkeeping department]. We had Badra Sangare, an Ivory Coast international, Renaldo [Leaner], now going into the national setup and getting a taste of it,” Cardoso told FARPost.
“So he’ll have to step up and work harder, knowing that we’ve made two other international signings. And you also had Lloyd [Kazapua], who was with Namibia also. So, it’s the goalkeeping department that’s very tough. And I guess whoever wants to play and wants it the most will get that position.”
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