Chippa United head coach Vusi Vilakazi says he wouldn’t be surprised if goalkeeper Dumisani Msibi sneaks his way into the Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada starting in June.
Msibi, of course, would need to continue his red-hot form, which has seen him keeping five clean sheets in six matches.
Vilakazi revealed that the Bafana coaches are assessing the 30-year-old Msibi, who was the Motsepe Foundation Championship goalkeeper of the season in 2025.
The Betway Premiership is in a dwindling state of South African goalkeepers, with most clubs opting for foreigners, and therefore the pool of shotstoppers from which coach Hugo Broos has to choose has become limited.
The dire situation has also raised concern from former players such as Brian Baloyi.
Msibi, who has one international cap which he picked up in 2014, has suddenly found himself becoming an alternative.
The third spot in the goalkeeping department for the national men’s team appears up for grabs.
Ricardo Goss occupied the position in the recent Africa Cup of Nations behind No 1 Ronwen Williams and second choice Sipho Chaine.
Goss’s form at Siwelele has not been the best, keeping seven clean sheets in 16 league games this season.
Vilakazi gave the captaincy to Msibi after the departure of Nigerian international Stanley Nwabali at the start of the month.
His leadership qualities and his ability to organise the defence for Chippa could be an advantage.
The other way that Msibi’s ticket to the US, Mexico and Canada could be booked is if Williams or Chaine were to be unavailable due to injuries.
Bafana will play Mexico and South Korea at the World Cup, while the third team of opponents in the group, who are European-based, is yet to be determined by playoffs.
“They [Bafana Bafana coaches] are looking at him. They are also asking questions. He needs to improve some parts of his game,” Vilakazi said.
“He might sneak into the squad.
“He is doing very well, and the reason I have given him the captain’s armband is because he is very organised and vocal.
“When you have a keeper who is vocal, it makes things very easy.
“He is gaining confidence game by game. He needs to minimise the ball usage with his feet, but that sometimes is excitement,” he said.
Msibi will aim to strengthen his claim to the national position in Chippa’s next league game against Golden Arrows at King Zwelithini Stadium in two weeks.
Should Chippa stop Abafana Besithende from scoring in that game, it would be Msibi’s sixth shut-out in a row.
Daily Dispatch