Baxter Lavishes Praise On Chiefs Goalkeeper Brandon Petersen.
- PSL-DSTV PREMIERSHIP
NMMABUNDA
- 3 minutes read
Baxter Lavishes Praise On Chiefs Goalkeeper Brandon Petersen.
On goalie against Pirates, Baxter stated, “He deserves a tremendous pat on the back.”
Stuart Baxter, Kaizer Chiefs coach, believes the outcome of Saturday’s Soweto derby might have been different if Brandon Petersen’s bravery in goal had not been present.
To secure a critical three points, the Chiefs defeated the Orlando Pirates by a close 2-1 margin in their own backyard at Orlando Stadium. The three points, according to Baxter, kept them in contention for the DStv Premiership crown.
Meanwhile, Petersen produced some vital saves that kept Amakhosi ahead in the game, the most memorable being one he made minutes before the end. As the Pirates launched a late onslaught, he was one-on-one with Terrence Dzvukamanja.
“Petersen was terrific,” Baxter added, “and he has been outstanding since he joined the squad.” Some Amakhosi fans questioned his decision to choose Petersen over veterans such as Itumeleng Khune and Daniel Akpeyi.
“Didn’t that last-second save give us the win?” He makes a save in a one-on-one situation where they’re clean through. It’s a pivotal save. That’s why he’s there, and what he’s been training for. A big pat on the back is in order for him. “He’s really put his hat in the ring and said, ‘I want to stay here,'” Baxter added.
Petersen had to wait over a year to join Amakhosi, who already had a number of talented and veteran goalkeepers on their roster. Many did not expect him to receive playing time ahead of fan favorite Khune, veteran Akpeyi, who was the team’s No. 1 last season, and Bruce Bvuma, who had been waiting for his chance for quite some time.
He appears to have effortlessly skipped the queue to become the trusted No. 1 on Baxter’s staff, but it is not that straightforward.
Petersen only joined the squad after the Christmas break since he was the only one who stayed with the team when others had other duties. Akpeyi was with Nigeria at the Caf Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Khune and Bvuma played for the Gauteng Warriors in the DStv Compact Cup.
Petersen took advantage of the fact that he was the only keeper left on the club at the time because he has been No. 1 since his return to play in early February.
