Renaldo Liner has become one of the latest acquisitions for Kaizer Chiefs in the current transfer window. He joined the Soweto giants as a free agent after his contract with Sekhukhune United expired.
Liner stated that the move to Kaizer Chiefs was not just a career decision but the fulfillment of a long-held dream. His arrival at Naturena followed an impressive spell at Babana Noko, where he established himself as one of the club's most reliable goalkeepers.
The 28-year-old footballer spent three seasons at Sekhukhune, moving there from Maritzburg United in 2023. Subsequently, the club changed its name to Durban City FC and participated in the Motsepe Foundation Championship. During his time in Limpopo, Liner played 45 matches in all competitions, conceding 42 goals and recording 15 clean sheets.
His consistency attracted the attention of the national team, and earlier this year, Hugo Bruus gave him his first call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad. The former Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper was included in the team for two friendly matches against Panama as part of preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, although he did not make the final list, yielding to Ronwen Williams, Sipho Chen, and Ricardo Goss.
Despite this disappointment, Liner's performances continued to strengthen his reputation as one of the most promising goalkeepers in the Premier Soccer League. This form ultimately led to his transfer to one of South Africa's biggest football clubs.
Speaking to the Kaizer Chiefs media team during pre-season training at Pinatar Arena in Spain, Liner admitted that the opportunity to join Amakhosi was a chance he could not refuse. He noted: 'I always wanted to play for Chiefs, so when I became a free agent after my contract with my previous club ended, I decided to join Kaizer Chiefs.'
He also shared his impressions of the club: 'In fact, my first visit to Village in Naturena was when I went to sign the contract with Chiefs. I was amazed and impressed by what I saw when they gave me a tour of the facilities. It made me even more want to start because everything here is built for creating a world-class training base.'
Liner is currently part of the Chiefs squad preparing for the 2026/27 campaign. Amakhosi aim to build on their success after returning to continental competitions. The Soweto giants will participate in the MTN8 tournament for the first time in two seasons, while also competing for trophies in the Betway Premiership and domestic cups. Furthermore, they will return to CAF activities through the Confederation Cup, which adds new demands to what promises to be a challenging season.
The teams Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates continued their preseason training in Spain, showing promising results this week. Both teams concluded their European tours with 1-1 draws before moving on to the final stage.
Although the results of these games are secondary, both coaches, Fernando Da Cruz from Chiefs and Abdelsalam Wadee from Pirates, gained valuable experience through additional playing time, continuing to shape squads for the new Betway Premiership season.
Kaizer Chiefs played against Saudi Pro League team Al Kholood on Wednesday, displaying disciplined play after a first draw against Scottish giant Rangers. Vandelile Duba continued an impressive preseason, scoring a goal for Amakhosi in the 15th minute following a well-coordinated attack. This was the second consecutive match in the Spanish camp where Chiefs managed to score, strengthening the young forward's position before the campaign begins.
However, similar to the match against Rangers, Amakhosi could not hold onto the lead when Al Kholood equalized in the 82nd minute, forcing the team into a second consecutive 1-1 draw. This late conceded goal will undoubtedly be an area that Da Cruz intends to work on before the resumption of competitive football.
Orlando Pirates also had to chase the deficit in their first match under Wadee, drawing 1-1 against second-division Spanish team Córdoba in Marbella. After a goalless first hour, Córdoba opened the scoring in the 68th minute, but the Buccaneers quickly responded thanks to substitution Boitumelo Radiopane. The forward capitalized on the opponent's goalkeeper's confusion, pressing aggressively and scoring the equalizer just six minutes later.
This goal highlighted the intense approach that Wadee aims to implement as he starts a new chapter with the Betway Premiership titleholders. Both coaches used friendly matches to rotate the squad, giving opportunities to new signings, academy graduates, and substitutes, while gradually building physical fitness after the season break.
Attention is now focused on the final rounds of the tours. Chiefs will conclude their preparation with a match against La Liga team Elche on Saturday, which is expected to be the toughest test for Da Cruz before the start of the domestic season. Meanwhile, Pirates continue a demanding schedule, playing against Cádiz, Saudi giants Al-Ittihad, and ambitious Neom before finishing the tour with a match against Las Palmas.
For both Soweto giants, the goals remain clear. Chiefs aim to build momentum under the new coach and restore their status as genuine contenders, while Pirates are refining a championship squad determined to defend the league title and maintain their dominance under Wadee. The remaining matches in Spain should give both coaches a clearer picture of their strongest starting lineups and the tactical concept they plan to employ in the coming months.
American golfer Scottie Scheffler demonstrated a strong start in defending his title at the British Championship, placing just one stroke behind the club's overall leader, who holds a four-stroke advantage below par after the first nine holes at Royal Birkdale.
The American found it more comfortable to play under the bright sun and hot temperatures on the northwest coast of England than during the Scottish Championship last week, which was disrupted by fog. It was there that the world number one saw his record of 78 consecutive rounds, spanning four years, come to an end.
Scheffler noted that extra rest before a major tournament 'is never the worst thing, but I really don't like missing rounds.' He won at Royal Portrush last year, which dispelled doubts about his ability to adapt to links conditions on the other side of the Atlantic.
Nevertheless, Scheffler is having a disappointing year by his own high standards, with only one victory on the PGA Tour in January and failing to add to his four major titles. The world number one managed to recover by making four birdies in five holes between the second and sixth, before a missed attempt on the seventh hole brought him back to three strokes below par.
Another American player, Bryson DeChambeau, is also in a position three strokes below par, with six holes remaining to play in his first round. The club leaders, four strokes below par, are English golfer Daniel Brown and South Korean Im Sung-jae.
Scottish golfer Robert McIntyre also showed a strong start, playing a round with a score of three strokes below par—67. The world number 15 has never won a major tournament but has made the top 10 three times at the British Championship out of six attempts. McIntyre stated: 'If I won The Open, any major tournament, if anything happened, I could happily retire from golf.' He added that achieving this would fulfill all his long-held goals, but 'there is still a long way to go.'
Tommy Fleetwood is also striving to complete his wait for a major victory in his home country in Southport. Despite the warm support of the world number nine, he started steadily, but not impressively, over the first ten holes, recording only one birdie and one bogey.
Rory McIlroy begins his challenge for the first 'Claret Jug' since winning the tournament in 2014. His marquee afternoon group includes 2024 winner Xander Schoffel and world number three Matt Fitzpatrick, scheduled for 3:15 PM local time (2:15 PM GMT).
The football season in South Africa is preparing for another period without the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. The head of the refereeing body, Safa, Abdul Ibrahim, announced that a full season of training is required for the technology to be fully implemented, meaning VAR will not be launched in the upcoming 2026/27 season.
Earlier this year, Sports Minister Gethon McKenzie stated that the government had allocated funds to Safa for the introduction of VAR into South African football, with a particular focus on the top division. Safa, through its financial national executive committee led by Mkhoseli Sibama, confirmed receipt of these funds and their placement in a special account.
However, speaking at the Southern Sun hotel in Pretoria on Thursday after the conclusion of the Fifa Elite program, which was a pre-season seminar for referees organized by Safa in collaboration with FIFA, Ibrahim clearly stated that they are not yet ready to deploy the technology. During an interview with Primetime Sports, he answered the question about the next season: 'My simple answer is no.' He explained that extensive training is required, which has not yet begun for several reasons.
Nevertheless, Ibrahim noted that the project team has already been formed. Currently, this team awaits approval from the National Executive Committee regarding the proposal they submitted. Once approval is received, the project team will hold a press conference to outline the next steps for implementing VAR in South Africa. Nevertheless, he confirmed that there is no readiness for a launch in the 2026/27 season.
The start of the Betway Premiership season is scheduled for Saturday, August 1, 2026. This latest rejection, despite high hopes from fans, clubs, and stakeholders for the adoption of the technology, has dealt a serious blow to South African football.
