Itumeleng Khune has weighed in on Brandon Petersen’s Bafana Bafana World Cup squad snub and has since sent an emotional message to his former Kaizer Chiefs teammate.
Petersen was among the six players who were left out of the final squad by coach Hugo Broos recently, despite being the second-best goalkeeper in the Betway Premiership last season with 15 clean sheets behind Sipho Chaine, who completed a PSL record 21 clean sheets.
Broos opted to go with Ricardo Goss as his third-choice goalkeeper for the World Cup to be held in the US, Mexico and Canada, a decision that sparked a lot of debate and, to a certain extent, divided the national team fanbase.
Petersen ‘unlucky to be left out’
Khune, who was speaking to the media during a Carling Black Label World Cup media launch in Sandhurst on Tuesday, said Petersen was unlucky to miss the final 26-man squad after a good season with Amakhosi.
“He was unfortunate not to make the World Cup squad because he has done tremendously well for Kaizer Chiefs throughout the season,” Khune said.
“Even after he removed the appendix, he came back to help the team, and I was so happy to see him win nine Man of the Match awards in one season.
“So, that goes to show that he has matured as a goalkeeper. Like they always say, goalkeepers mature like fine wine, and Brandon Petersen is a true testament to that.”
Petersen ‘must hang in there’
Khune went on to send his former teammate a message of support, stating that it is only a matter of time before the 31-year-old receives a national team call-up and must grab it with both hands.
“He played for Ajax, went to Bidvest Wits, and when he came to Kaizer Chiefs, unfortunately, he had to wait for two years to start competing for a spot due to the FIFA ban.
“But since then, he has shown real maturity, and I want to leave him with these words to say he must not give up, because there is still a long way to go, and he will definitely get that call-up one day.
“And when he gets it, he must make sure that he performs to the best of his ability every time he wears the jersey of the national team,” Khune added.
The former Bafana number one goalkeeper will be amongst the 2010 World Cup group that will travel to Mexico to support Broos and his men for the opening game next Thursday.
- Brandon Petersen was controversially excluded from the final Bafana Bafana World Cup squad despite being the second-best goalkeeper in the Betway Premiership last season.
- Coach Hugo Broos selected Ricardo Goss as the third-choice goalkeeper, a decision that sparked debate and divided fans.
- Itumeleng Khune described Petersen’s omission as unfortunate, praising his strong season with Kaizer Chiefs, including winning nine Man of the Match awards.
- Khune encouraged Petersen not to give up, highlighting his growth and predicting a future national team call-up.
- Khune, part of the 2010 World Cup squad, will travel to Mexico to support the team at the upcoming World Cup.
