William Shongwe explains Brandon Petersen’s costly Kaizer Chiefs mistake in MTN8 exit

Former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper William Shongwe believes Brandon Petersen’s costly mistake against Golden Arrows came from a natural instinct that has served him well throughout his career.

Petersen’s error proved decisive as Kaizer Chiefs were beaten 1-0 by Golden Arrows in their MTN8 quarter-final at FNB Stadium on Sunday, bringing the Soweto club’s campaign in the competition to an end.

Shongwe, a legendary former Chiefs goalkeeper, said Petersen appeared to have moved early in anticipation of the cross, leaving him unable to recover when the ball was delivered into a dangerous area.

“Sometimes when you have become too good at something, you start anticipating a lot what will happen next, and sometimes you get caught,” Shongwe told KickOff.

“He wants to have already stolen a few steps by the time the cross is delivered, and that way it gives you an advantage. This will teach him to stick to his principles and not to anticipate too much.

“On many occasions, you will win. In my time, I used to come out long before the opposition put in through balls. Ted Dumitru even praised me, saying I was a second sweeper.

“But in this case, it looked really bad. It was horrible.”

The former goalkeeper said Petersen’s decision was not necessarily a sign of poor technique, but a reflection of the bold approach often associated with experienced goalkeepers.

“I know exactly what he was trying to do. This is what brave goalkeepers do. It’s in the skipper’s character, his individual character.

“In Petersen’s case, there was no time to recover. It was a well-placed cross.

“We can’t blame the goalkeeper coach; it’s in the goalkeeper’s character,” he added.

The result means Chiefs must quickly put the disappointment behind them, with another important fixture already approaching.

The club will host Sekhukhune United in a Betway Premiership match at FNB Stadium on Wednesday, giving Petersen and his team-mates little time to reflect on the mistake or their early exit from the MTN8.

For Petersen, the challenge will be to respond immediately after an error that had a direct impact on the result. Shongwe’s assessment was that the goalkeeper’s eagerness to anticipate the danger was understandable, even though it left him exposed on this occasion.

Chiefs’ defeat to Golden Arrows was decided by that moment, but Shongwe believes the incident should serve as a reminder for Petersen to remain patient and trust the fundamentals of his position rather than trying to gain an early advantage.