While Stellenbosch FC goalkeeper Sage Stephens has emerged as an early candidate for the MTN8 Last Man Standing award after only conceding once in the tournament so far, his place in the final against Orlando Pirates could be compromised.
After becoming the first goalkeeper to concede in this season's edition of the tournament that comes with a whopping R10 million winners' prize, with TS Galaxy's Kamogelo Sebelebele netting the opener in the quarterfinal match that ended 3-1 in favour of the Boland side, Stephens has gone on to redeem himself.
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In the two-legged semi-final against last year's runners-up Mamelodi Sundowns, he kept a clean sheet, thwarting every effort thrown in his direction by the star-studded outfit.
In the first leg, three of The Brazilians' 11 shots were on target, while four of their 18 in the second leg were also on target, but with the 33-year-old standing firm between the sticks.
As a result, calls for his inclusion in the Bafana Bafana set-up grew louder as, based on current form, he is the best goalkeeper in the league at present. However, those have fallen on deaf ears with head coach Hugo Broos not selecting Stephens into the recent squad that took part in AFCON qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan.
Instead, Veli Mothwa, who had not tasted any competitive action this season, got the nod ahead of Sipho Chaine against the Cranes, and was largely responsible for the 2-2 result after fumbling a shot from distance that looked like easy pickings.
The former Moroka Swallows man will have put that disappointment behind him by now, looking forward to helping his side win the MTN8, but it comes with the monkey on his back of three yellow cards, carried over from last season.
With an Ikapa Derby against Cape Town City next Wednesday, as well as another league fixture away to Polokwane City on 29 September before the big match against the Buccaneers, it presents head coach Steve Barker with a little migraine.
Should he avoid a caution in the derby, only to get yellow-carded against Rise and Shine, he then misses the big final.
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The alternative would be to play Stephens against the Citizens and rest him for the Polokwane match, but going to a cup final with a 'rusty' last line of defence may prove risky.
Whatever happens next, which includes the possibility of an 'intentional' yellow card on Wednesday, Stephens is treading on thin ice and could be asked to step off the kombi, as per the picture accompanying this article, as the side embarks on the trip to Moses Mabhida Stadium for a fourth time this season.