Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki has given the biggest hint of his stance on goalkeepers Itumeleng Khune and Brandon Petersen.
There has been much speculation about Petersen’s future at Chiefs, with some reports suggesting that he could be dropped in favour of the much more experienced Khune.
Petersen was at fault when Chiefs fell 2-1 to Mamelodi Sundowns earlier this month and against TS Galaxy last Sunday.
After the Sundowns howler, Ntseki stuck with him, giving him the nod against Cape Town City in the MTN8.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper was outstanding in that game but turned the ball into his net against Galaxy.
Questions were raised over whether the Chiefs mentor would turn to Khune on Saturday when they host AmaZulu FC in a DStv Premiership match at the FNB Stadium [17h30].
Ntseki gave the strongest indication of how veteran goalkeeper’s coach Rainer Dinkelacker is important in influencing that decision.
WHAT IS NTSEKI’S STANCE ON ITUMELENG KHUNE-BRANDON PETERSEN?
“I think we’ve got a very good technical team. We’ve got a very good technical department with our mentor, Coach Rainer,” Ntseki told journalists.
He stressed the importance of eliminating the mistakes they have made, adding that they proved to be costly. He, however, refused to put the blame on the goalkeeper squarely.
“Those were mental issues because when you look at his ability as a goalkeeper, he has done very well for the team, even in the past few games.
“But the concentration levels were a bit down. It’s not only him that made mistakes that led us to lose the game. I think it’s the whole team.
“If you look at it, it’s a series of mistakes that led him to make the last mistake that we normally look at to be his mistake.
“He has been in the game for some time now. As coaches, we need to be there for the players. This is what we are doing to help him understand that mistakes like this will always be costly.
“But these are mistakes that we have to eliminate in our game.”
He moved to play down suggestions that he could turn to Khune for the AmaZulu FC match. Interestingly, in recent games, Ntseki has had Bruce Bvuma deputise Petersen, with Khune relegated to the stands.
MOLEFI NTSEKI HINTS AT STICKING WITH BRANDON PETERSEN
“Also, when it comes to Itumeleng Khune, something very important is that we have four goalkeepers, and all of them are competing for the first position to be in the team.
“When one makes a mistake, you don’t just make changes without zooming into the problem and helping out with the problem.
“You might make changes emotionally. What if the next player makes the same mistake? What is important here is that we’re a professional team, and we’re also treating our players as professionals.”
Khune has been at Chiefs since 2004 and has made over 340 appearances for the club. He is one of the most decorated goalkeepers in South African football, having won the Premier Soccer League title four times, the Nedbank Cup three times, and the MTN8 twice.
Petersen is an Ajax Cape Town academy product and has been with the club since July 2021. The former Bidvest Wits goalie has made 95 senior teams in all competitions. 36 of those were with Chiefs since joining the club two years ago.
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