Brandon Petersen: Kaizer Chiefs Star Speaks After Being Left Out of Bafana Bafana’s World Cup Squad

• Kaizer Chiefs captain Brandon Petersen speaks for the first time after being dropped from the final Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup
• The Glamour Boys goalkeeper was among the six players Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos dropped from his preliminary list
• The South African goalkeeper was among the best players in the Premier Soccer League in the just-concluded 2025-26 season

Brandon Petersen has finally broken his silence on social media after being overlooked by Hugo Broos for Bafana Bafana’s final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Kaizer Chiefs shot-stopper and skipper was among six players omitted from the travelling group set to head to Mexico this weekend. He made the 32-man preliminary list, but the Belgian tactician prefers Mamelodi Sundowns Ronwen Williams, Siwelele FC's Ricardo Goss and Orlando Pirates' Sipho Chaine as the three goalkeepers for Bafana Bafana.

Bafana Bafana are placed in Group A alongside Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Korea. South Africa's first match in the competition would be a repeat of the 2010 World Cup as they would face one of the co-hosts, Mexico, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

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Petersen speaks after World Cup snub

Bafana Bafana supporters have voiced their frustration on social media following Petersen’s exclusion from the FIFA World Cup squad announcement. especially Kaizer Chiefs fans after the goalkeeper was influential to their third-place finish in the Betway Premiership in the just-concluded season.

Some of the fans accused Broos of being biased against the Glamour Boys, especially after only one Amakhosi player secured a place in the final selection for the global football competition.

Despite the disappointment, Petersen chose to focus on supporting his Kaizer Chiefs teammate. The goalkeeper, who recorded 15 clean sheets this season in the league, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram Stories congratulating Bradley Cross for making the squad.

Cross is one of two uncapped players included in the final squad for the tournament set to be hosted by three North American countries.

“So happy and proud of you, my brother,” Petersen wrote on the picture of Cross he shared on Instagram.

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Kaizer Chiefs supporters quickly flooded the comments section with words of encouragement for the goalkeeper after his omission.

One fan commented: “We are fully behind you and excited to see what you do next season.” Another added: “Stay strong, you’ve had a fantastic campaign and proved your quality.”

Six players left watching in disappointment

Petersen was also among the six players left disappointed after missing out on the final Bafana Bafana World Cup squad.

Many football fans criticised the process, arguing that inviting players to the announcement only to leave them out publicly was harsh and embarrassing.

In a viral video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), the six players were seen waiting outside while they watched the selected players move to the stage to receive a presidential handshake and also sit to take pictures during the send-off function.

Chiefs, Pirates, Sundowns battle for SA forward

Briefly News also reported that Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns are in a transfer battle as they are all interested in snapping up a South African forward.

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Hugo Broos explains why Brandon Petersen was dropped from Bafana Bafana’s final World Cup squad

The three PSL giants were said to be looking for the possibility of signing the winger before the winter transfer window closes.

Source: Briefly News