Former Sekhukhune United FC goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare has challenged Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner to show his quality while also backing the 28-year-old to stake his claim at Amakhosi.
Leaner could make his official Chiefs debut when they face their MTN8 tormentors Golden Arrows FC in a Betway Premiership tie at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday. With Brandon Petersen injured and out for a projected four to six weeks, Leaner is expected to step in for the Amakhosi captain.
However, coach Fernando da Cruz and his goalkeeper coach Olivier Sorin might opt to throw Bruce Bvuma into the fray amid limited options, as Takalani Mazhamba is currently with Amajita at the COSAFA Under-20 Championship in Mozambique.
Expectations are high on Leaner, who is yet to be tested in Amakhosi colours since arriving at Naturena from Sekhukhune before the start of the current season.
SANGARE’S CHIEFS CHALLENGE FOR LEANER
Former Ivory Coast goalkeeper Sangare was Leaner’s teammate at Sekhukhune, and using his first-hand experience with the Chiefs shot-stopper, he tips him to thrive at Amakhosi if given a chance.
“The goalkeeping department is not like the infield departments. The goalkeeping department is very difficult,” AFCON-winning Sangare told FARPost.
“During the first game, maybe he is going to shake because he doesn’t have the confidence. It’s normal to be like that in the first game with the big team. It’s not easy.
“But he now needs to show the quality and show the experience because Leaner is a young player but has been playing at a high level for how many seasons now? But I think he can do it. Now he is an international player, he plays for Bafana. He even got some minutes with Bafana. I think he can do it.”
A CALL FOR RENALDO LEANER TO BE GIVEN A CHANCE
Before sustaining his injury, Petersen was committing costly errors, and there were calls for Da Cruz to try other goalkeepers. Sangare agrees on the need to give others a chance.
“In my opinion, he [Da Cruz] must give a chance to everyone to know why you signed the players. If you sign someone, you see something he can give to you because football is a business. If you sign him, that means you believe in him, he can give you something,” went on Sangare, who graced five AFCON finals with Ivory Coast and won the 2023 edition, although only enjoying more game time at the 2021 tournament.
“He can perform. If you perform well with Sekhukhune and they call you to the national team, it’s the same football. There is no difference. It’s the same South African football, the same PSL football.
“The problem with big teams is that you need to be more focused because big teams do not have small games. In every game, everyone wants to play 150 percent because they are playing against big teams.
“For the performance now, it is [about] how you believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself that you can do it, no one is coming to do it for you because in football you must believe in yourself first.”
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