Chaine identifies Ndlondlo as a key threat in his new role

Ndlondlo was at Pirates for three seasons and left just before the start of this new season, and he’s been a revelation at the Bloemfontein-based club. The diminutive attacker has been a key player for his team in this tournament, playing as a false nine and scoring three goals in three matches. Chaine says he will be key to his team.

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"He was here with us, I think he is quality. He has been with us for three years, and we have won trophies with him. We know how much of a threat he is - it is just for us to prepare well and focus on the game at hand," said Chaine.

Chaine has been the cornerstone of the many clean sheets the Pirates have produced this season and says it has been a journey to reach the level they are at now.

"As goalkeepers, we pride ourselves in keeping clean-sheets. Just like strikers, they want to score goals.  But also, it doesn't mean when you concede goals you want less of the clean-sheets. I guess when you approach every game just keep levelheaded. We continue to build, brick by brick," added Chaine.

There’s also the strong element of hunger in the Bucs camp, judging by the numbers of how players who come on as substitutes come in and assist and score. Chaine says that under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, he has instilled good team spirit and values in this team.

"Like I said in the first question, the most important thing is team spirit, just wanting to contribute to the team when you come on. You could see a KB coming in the last 10min, how much he gets to contribute and you can see his impact. It's all about playing as a team under all conditions," he expressed.

Chaine is one of the nine Pirates players who will be heading to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Morocco with Bafana Bafana. Some of his teammates were not regulars in the national team before coming to Pirates.