Sheppard On Leaner’s Debut: “That’s Why You Have A Squad”
Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Dillon Sheppard praised Renaldo Leaner after the goalkeeper made his debut for Amakhosi against Golden Arrows at Mbombela Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Leaner made his first appearance for Chiefs after captain Brandon Petersen was ruled out through injury, with the club announcing Petersen’s injury earlier in the week.
The goalkeeper joined Amakhosi during the off-season following his departure from Sekhukhune United and had been on the bench for every game Chiefs played this season, with Petersen starting all of their previous matches.
However, Petersen’s injury opened the door for Leaner, who took his opportunity and produced a solid performance to help Chiefs keep a clean sheet in their Betway Premiership encounter against Golden Arrows.
Leaner also made two notable saves during the match, producing crucial interventions to keep Amakhosi in the game when Golden Arrows threatened to break the deadlock.
Sheppard was impressed with the goalkeeper’s performance, particularly his leadership at the back, confidence and ability to make important saves when his team needed him.
“Very good. His leadership at the back, a couple of crucial saves to keep us in the game. Very good,” he said.
“And, you know, that’s why you have a squad. When players get injured and other players step in, they take their chance.
“So, very happy for him. He’s come in with a lot of confidence, and we actually saw that we kept a clean sheet on Sunday. So, very good for him.”
While Sheppard praised Leaner for his individual performance, the Chiefs assistant coach also reflected on the team’s overall display against Arrows.
Amakhosi controlled large parts of the first half and created enough opportunities to score, but they could not find the breakthrough as the match eventually ended in a goalless draw.
Sheppard felt Chiefs were particularly impressive before the break, although he admitted that their performance dropped in the second half as they started giving possession away too easily.
“I know, very, very good first half. The way we controlled the game, I think we only gave them two chances on goal, you know, the headers at the back,” he added.
“But, you know, the way we controlled the game in the first half, there is a lot to come. Very, very good. All the guys applied themselves and, yeah, going into the second half, I think the game got a little bit away from us.
“We started giving away possession a little too easily, and they came back and had a couple of chances, especially towards the end. So, I think a fair result, but I think we deserved to win it if you look at the balance of the chances.”
The draw leaves Chiefs fourth in the Betway Premiership standings with 13 points from seven matches as they head into the FIFA international break.
Amakhosi will return to league action on 17 October when they host Stellenbosch at FNB Stadium, with Chiefs looking to return to winning ways after dropping points against Arrows.
