Kaizer Chiefs legend Brian Baloyi has called for Amakhosi goalkeeper and captain Brandon Petersen to be dropped from the starting XI.
The retired goalkeeper believes Petersen’s costly mistakes have already cost Chiefs valuable points this season and feels the time has come for him to be given a spell on the bench.
Petersen has featured in all six of Chiefs’ league matches this season, but Baloyi claims the goalkeeper has made costly errors in four of those games, with the mistakes resulting in goals.
Speaking on Soccerbeat, Baloyi argued that Petersen should have been dropped after his early-season errors.
“By now, I think it’s come to a point where it’s too much. It’s a lot of schoolboy errors. It’s okay sometimes when you make those errors and they don’t end in a resulting goal,” he said.
“Unfortunately, this season they’re resulting in goals and costing Chiefs valuable points. So for me, I believe it’s time that he smells the bench.
“I think by now, surely Petersen should be on the bench,” the Chiefs legend added.
Baloyi also believes dropping Petersen could have a positive effect on the goalkeeper, forcing him to fight harder to regain his place in the starting XI.
Petersen’s latest mistake came in Chiefs’ 1-1 draw against Polokwane City, when he failed to deal with Giovanni Philander’s effort, allowing the hosts to equalise.
Despite the error, Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz defended his captain after the match.
Petersen protected by Chiefs head coach
“Yes, for sure, it’s disappointing [to concede like that] because, in the first half, Brandon Petersen made two great saves, but after that, I didn’t see anything,” said Da Cruz.
“We knew that they [Polokwane City] are very good at set pieces and crosses. But when we concede this type of goal, it can be disappointing.”