Kaizer Chiefs coach backs Brandon Petersen for Bafana Bafana AFCON call-up
Brandon Petersen' recent form for Kaizer Chiefs has led to speculation he could be a member of the Bafana Bafana squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations campaign. Photo: BackpagePix
Image: BackpagePix
Brandon Petersen kept another clean sheet on Friday as Kaizer Chiefs beat Durban City 1-0 to move up to third in the Betway Premiership after 10 games played.
It was Petersen’s ninth clean sheet of the season in all competitions, and has impressed coach Khalil Ben Youssef, who believes the 31-year-old is doing everything he can to convince Bafana Bafana’s Hugo Broos to include him in the squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
“I think every game, we say congratulations to Petersen and the goalkeeper coach for a good job he’s doing with him,” Ben Youssef said, according to iDiski Times after their win over the Durbanites at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“The target of Petersen is to go back to Bafana Bafana, to be part of the national team. He’s targeting that.
“I think he needs to continue to work to put pressure on the coach of the national team so he can be part of the squad in the AFCON.”
Petersen’s form comes at the perfect time for Chiefs, who are desperate to reclaim their status as one of the country’s biggest clubs. It’s also a far cry from where things were for him last season.
At the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign, Petersen was third in the pecking order behind Fiacre Ntwari and Bruce Bvuma. But with the duo committing a lot of mistakes, the club now look like they’ve found the right man in the former Ajax Cape Town and Bidvest Wits shotstopper.
Petersen’s resurgence is also a symbol of Kaizer Chiefs’ revival this season. Once written off and relegated to the bench, he has fought his way back to become a pillar of stability and belief for a side rebuilding its identity.
If Petersen maintains this level of consistency, he could well be on the plane to Morocco at the end of the year. And with Bafana Bafana already qualified for next year’s World Cup, he has every reason to stay motivated throughout the season.
IOL Sport