Brandon Petersen says Renaldo Leaner arrival will raise Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeping standards

Kaizer Chiefs captain Brandon Petersen insists he is unfazed by fresh competition for the gloves, backing new signing Renaldo Leaner to strengthen the club’s goalkeeping department rather than threaten his own position.

Leaner joined Amakhosi earlier this month from fellow Betway Premiership side Sekhukhune United and was recently unveiled by the Soweto club. His arrival means Chiefs now have three senior goalkeepers competing for the starting role: Petersen, Leaner and Bruce Bvuma.

Petersen, who wears the armband at Naturena, believes the addition of Leaner will push all three to higher levels and says the ultimate priority is collective performance, not personal status.

“I don’t mind competition, if we can push each other to be the best, it doesn’t matter who gets the nod on the day, we’ll all be able to perform and do well,” Petersen told the media. “Exciting times, looking forward to working throughout the season and I know he’s going to do phenomenally well.”

Childhood link behind warm welcome

The 29-year-old revealed that his relationship with Leaner goes back to their school days, long before either goalkeeper turned professional.

“It’s a good signing for the team. Also Renaldo, he’s a phenomenal goalkeeper, I’ve known him since we were very young. I was his head boy at high school and we’ve always had a good relationship, and it was great for me to see how he grew as a goalkeeper,” said Petersen.

Both players came through the youth ranks at Ikamva, the training base historically associated with Ajax Cape Town, now known as Cape Town Spurs. Petersen believes that shared background has helped shape Leaner’s resilience and current status in the top flight.

“Coming from Ajax as well and how he fought his way back into the PSL and to be where he is today, I think it’s a great opportunity for him as well and I think for us as a goalkeeping department competition is good,” he added.

Healthy rivalry at Naturena

Leaner heads to Chiefs after his spell at Sekhukhune United, where he established himself in the Betway Premiership and earned a move to one of South Africa’s biggest clubs.

At Chiefs, he walks into a goalkeeping group in which Petersen has emerged as captain and Bvuma has been a long-serving squad member. Petersen, however, was clear that no one should feel threatened by the new signing, arguing that internal rivalry can only help Amakhosi’s campaign.

With three senior goalkeepers now in contention, the race to be Kaizer Chiefs’ first choice is expected to intensify, but Petersen stressed that the focus among the trio will remain on collective standards rather than individual status.

For Petersen, the personal history with Leaner, their shared grounding at Ikamva and Leaner’s route back into the Premier Soccer League underline why he believes his new team-mate is equipped to succeed at Naturena and why he welcomes the challenge that comes with his arrival.