Benni McCarthy Comforts Brandon Petersen After Painful Bafana Bafana Snub: “Keep Pushing”
- Benni McCarthy has comforted Brandon Petersen after the Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper missed out on Hugo Broos’ final Bafana Bafana World Cup squad
- Petersen’s omission sparked widespread debate among South African football fans, despite his impressive statistics this season
- The former Manchester United coach related to Petersen’s heartbreak after suffering a similar World Cup snub in 2010
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Bafana Bafana legend Benni McCarthy has weighed in on the omission of Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen from South Africa’s final FIFA World Cup squad.
Coach Hugo Broos named his 26-man squad for the global showpiece, which kicks off on 11 June when South Africa face Mexico. Broos selected three goalkeepers in his squad: Mamelodi Sundowns captain Ronwen Williams, Orlando Pirates shot-stopper Sipho Chaine, and surprise inclusion Ricardo Goss of Siwelele FC.
The decision left many fans stunned, with supporters questioning what Petersen had done wrong to fall out of Broos’ top four goalkeepers.
The omission triggered widespread debate on social media, with many fans defending Petersen and praising his performances throughout the season.
Hugo Broos explains Brandon Petersen's omission
In his defence, Broos said the decision was not based on Petersen’s ability, but rather on a lack of time to fully understand the goalkeeper’s personality and how he would fit into the national team environment.
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Petersen enjoyed a strong campaign for Kaizer Chiefs, keeping more than 15 clean sheets and delivering several standout performances that earned him Man of the Match honours.
Despite his impressive form, it was not enough to convince Broos, as Petersen was part of the preliminary squad but failed to make the final selection.
His season statistics further highlighted his contribution:
Around 23 to 30 appearances across all competitions
Roughly 12 to 16 clean sheets, depending on the competition
About 0.5 to 0.7 goals conceded per game
A save rate of approximately 78% to 79% in league matches
Benni McCarthy sends Brandon Petersen a message
McCarthy has now broken his silence on the matter and sent Petersen a message of consolation. His empathy comes as no surprise to many, as he experienced similar heartbreak in 2010 after he was controversially left out of South Africa’s World Cup squad.
Under one of Petersen’s Instagram posts, McCarthy left a heartfelt message of encouragement.
He wrote: “You deserved more broertjie. But you should be proud of everything you've done up until now. Better things are coming your way. Keep pushing, my man.”
Petersen, who captains Kaizer Chiefs, thanked McCarthy for the message.
Despite the disappointment, Petersen chose to focus on supporting his teammate. The goalkeeper, who recorded 15 clean sheets this season, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram Stories congratulating Kaizer Chiefs defender Bradley Cross for making the squad.
Bafana injury concerns add to World Cup squad drama
Briefly News previously reported that Bafana Bafana’s medical team faced a race against time before Hugo Broos finalised his FIFA World Cup squad on Wednesday, 27 May.
Team doctor Dr Thulani Ngwenya later revealed that Mamelodi Sundowns defender Thapelo Morena missed out after a late injury setback.
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Source: Briefly News
