Amakhosi goalkeeper coach Rainer Dinkelacker reveals that Sunday’s performance by goalkeepers Emille Baron and Markus Bocsker during the Limpopo Challenge game against Black Leopards in Polokwane, which Chiefs lost via a penalty shoot-out, has brought to the fore a problem that he feels is good to have.

Baron, who has made a full recovery from a shoulder injury which kept him out of action last season, was able to play for forty five minutes on Sunday and looked to be in fine knick keeping a clean sheet. Baron, the former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper who will be targeting this Saturday’s match against English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur, in a bid to continue his run towards finding form and fitness, made way at halftime during Sunday’s game and was replaced by the Austrian youth international Bocsker.

For his part, Bocsker held things together at the back and made a number of brave stops at the feet of the Leopards attack, although luck deserted him in the shoot out. Bocsker has put his credentials out, and on the surface, looks as though he is ready to fight with Emille Baron for the place vacated by Rowen Fernandez.

Also thrown into the mix is Itumeleng Khune who has grown in stature over the past year as he has cemented his place in both the South African under–20 and under–23 national teams. Added to that the experience he has gained competing in the reserve league, has allowed Itumeleng to gain the necessary experience which will allow for him to step up to the plate at any time to stand in for Bocsker or Baron.

Dinkelacker Impressed

The Amakhosi returned to training on the 25th June and goalkeeper coach Rainer Dinkelacker has been impressed by the level of commitment displayed by the clubs three keepers, as well as their desire to succeed and has welcomed the friendly rivalry which exists amongst the keepers.

Dinkelacker said “over the three weeks that we have been back I have watched all the guys go from strength to strength and I can safely say that there is no clear cut candidate for the number one spot, the initial signs are that it is going to be a three way dual between the guys for the chance to become the first choice”.

Furthermore Dinkelacker is pleased with the fact that Emille Baron has made a full recovery from a shoulder injury which at one stage looked likely to keep him out of action for a long time to come, adding “the fact that Emille has been able to get back to near full fitness shows his character as a person. He is a fighter and will not give up easily and I am really pleased for him that he has been able to overcome these adversities and is playing football again, obviously we still have to work on a few things but most of the hard work that had to be done on Emille is not out of the way”.

A pleasant problem

Not many goalkeeping coaches around the world could find themselves in the fortunate position that Rainer Dinkelacker has found himself in recently, with all his charges showing form and none of them returning with weight related problems after the off season holidays.

Instead Dinkelacker has been able to work on tactics and a number of new drills with his trio, “any time you coming back from the off season it always worries you as to what shape your players will be in. Thankfully for us though all the guys came back in a better shape then they had left at the end of last season, it pleases one to find that your players posses the necessary self- discipline to help them develop in better athletes”.

Upon reflection of the performances of Baron and Bocsker during Sunday’s match against Black Leopards, the Chiefs goalkeeper coach expressed his delight at the fact that both keepers managed to keep a clean sheet.

When he said “The first and foremost thing for me is that I need to see players transferring the same kind of energy, enthusiasm and confidence that they display in training into a match situation. I do feel that against Leopards both the guys brought this with them into the game, on Emile’s performance it must said that he really made his presence felt in the box.

"Emile is a big guy and it is important for him to use his physique to his advantage which he did with good effective, coming back after such a lengthy lay off it was imperative for him to build his confidence with a good sound performance.

"With regards to Markus I would also like to compliment him for his performance, he was playing his first game in South African conditions and I feel that he adapted fairly well he was perhaps a bit unfortunate during the shoot out. We will work on ensuring that he is able to time his movement on the line better, all the keepers still have a lot of work to do they have another big assignment against Tottenham Hotspurs on Saturday and we will make sure that they are more then ready”.