Petersen faces fight to earn place in Mosimane’s first Bafana Bafana squad

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen may need players from outside South Africa’s national-team pool to remain in contention for Pitso Mosimane’s first Bafana Bafana squad, after an inconsistent opening to the season weakened his claim.

Petersen had been viewed as a potential replacement for Ricardo Goss among the three goalkeepers selected by the returning head coach. Goss’s opportunities have been sharply reduced since he went back to his parent club, Mamelodi Sundowns, where he has been used as back-up to first-choice goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

The former SuperSport United goalkeeper has appeared only once for Sundowns this season. That outing came in a 1-0 defeat by Golden Arrows in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final. For the rest of the campaign, Goss has had to play second fiddle to Williams.

There was considerable debate and criticism during the previous winter over Petersen’s omission from South Africa’s final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His performances for Kaizer Chiefs during the second half of the 2025/26 season had led many to believe he deserved selection.

Instead, Goss and Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine were chosen as the reserve goalkeepers behind captain Williams.

Petersen’s early-season form has not helped his case. He has conceded four goals and recorded only one clean sheet, while two costly mistakes continue to stand out. The errors came in draws against Mamelodi Sundowns, which ended 1-1, and Richards Bay, in a 2-2 match.

That record leaves him behind several of the other leading goalkeepers in the Betway Premiership. Chaine currently has the strongest statistical claim, with four clean sheets and only one goal conceded in his first five matches for Orlando Pirates.

Golden Arrows goalkeeper Edward Maova is next, having kept three clean sheets and not conceded in his first three appearances. He did not feature in the club’s 1-0 victory over Stellenbosch because of injury.

Durban City goalkeeper Fredrick Asare has also made a positive start to the league season. He has kept three clean sheets and conceded twice in five matches.

However, neither Maova nor Asare is eligible to play for Bafana Bafana. Maova is Namibian, while Asare is Ghanaian. Their nationality could work in Petersen’s favour if Mosimane opts to include three goalkeepers in his first squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

That possibility may give Petersen some breathing room despite his mistakes, but the competition remains open. Williams, South Africa’s established number one, has conceded five goals and kept two clean sheets so far.

Those figures are not alarming for the Bafana Bafana captain, but they underline that the goalkeeping positions are yet to be definitively settled under Mosimane.

The new and returning coach is preparing to begin another spell in charge of South Africa, with the squad expected to reflect both immediate form and the need to build towards upcoming continental qualification. Petersen’s challenge is to recover quickly from his errors and produce the performances that previously made him a contender for international selection.