How Dinkelacker helped Petersen after the Sundowns howler

Former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper William Shongwe has detailed how veteran trainer Rainer Dinkelacker helped Brandon Petersen after the Mamelodi Sundowns howler. 

Brandon Petersen was the fall guy after making a schoolboy mistake that all but gifted Mamelodi Sundowns the much-needed win in a DStv Premiership a fortnight ago.

The Tshwane giants handed Kaizer Chiefs their first defeat of the season. New boy Lucas Ribeiro Costa and Neo Maema scored for Mamelodi Sundowns.

Ashley du Preez scored Amakhosi’s consolation goal. And while the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, the Molefi Ntseki-led technical team has made serious efforts to boost their players’ confidence.

Specifically, veteran goalkeeper trainer Rainer Dinkelacker has been instrumental in helping lift Brandon Petersen’s spirit.

HOW RAINER DINKELACKER HELPED BRANDON PETERSEN

Ex-goalkeeper William Shongwe detailed how Dinkelacker helped Petersen, who has been preferred ahead of veteran Itumeleng Khune and Bruce Bvuma.

“I had the privilege to chat with Rainer Dinkelacker, and I specifically wanted to find out what he did to try and wipe out that memory of the Brandon Petersen mistake against Sundowns,” Shongwe told FARPost.

“Throughout the week, they had been having those types of talks whereby they made him understand that howlers like this are there in the game.

“It’s not only for the weak ones, even for the great goalkeepers that we know. Great goalkeepers conceded goals they shouldn’t have.

“That is normal. But as a goalie, you try and minimise them so that they don’t happen as often. 

“The pressure that comes with playing for a big team like Chiefs doesn’t help. When you make a howler like that, it’s like the whole country goes wild.

“He told me that they did very well in helping him recover from that. It showed during the Cape Town City game.”

Dinkelacker, who served as goalkeeper coach for many years at Naturea before leaving, recently rejoined Amakhosi as a Strategic Advisor in the goalkeeping department.

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