Kwinika backs Chiefs captain Petersen after costly errors

Kaizer Chiefs defender Zitha Kwinika has offered captain and goalkeeper Brandon Petersen a strong vote of confidence, insisting his recent mistakes are part of football and should not be blamed on one player alone.

Petersen has remained Kaizer Chiefs’ first-choice goalkeeper and captain this term, having produced the best form of his career last season. His performances had brought him close to a place in the Bafana Bafana squad.

However, the goalkeeper has conceded five goals in five games this season and has faced significant criticism for some of them. That scrutiny intensified after a costly error in the most recent match against Richards Bay FC.

Kwinika has rejected the suggestion that Petersen should carry sole responsibility for the team’s defensive problems. The experienced defender said mistakes were inevitable and that every player had to accept responsibility for goals conceded.

“I think errors are part of football… I will stand with Bizza (Petersen) any day,” Kwinika said.

“He is our leader. He is a big boy, and he understands this. I think it is one of those seasons where it happens. It can rain now, tomorrow the sun will shine again, and we will all be happy.”

Petersen’s position as captain and first-choice goalkeeper has remained unchanged despite the criticism. Kwinika said the team needed to look beyond individual errors and examine the collective defensive effort that allowed opponents to create scoring opportunities.

“So, I will never dwell on what happened because, at the end of the day, I think we all contribute to whatever happens.”

“For someone to be able to kick the ball into the back of the net, it means someone else didn’t close enough, so it can’t always be on Bizza. It is a team effort, and all of us contribute to that,” he added.

“So, I think it is just us doing what we need to do.”

Kwinika also highlighted Petersen’s previous contributions to Kaizer Chiefs, saying the goalkeeper had often produced important saves to keep the team in matches.

The defender argued that every player had a duty to mark opponents, defend properly and clear danger when required. He said those responsibilities could not be reduced to a one-person issue when assessing results.

“If I need to mark my person, defend, and personally clear the ball, we all need to do that and take accountability. It can’t be a one-person issue that contributes to the results because I will count games where Bizza saved us so much, so I will never dwell on that.”

Rather than focusing on Petersen’s mistakes, Kwinika said the squad should concentrate on the goalkeeper’s strengths and what he remained capable of producing for the club.

“I will rather emphasise on the good things he has done and what he is capable of doing, and I will know he will definitely do it,” Kwinika concluded.