Fernando da Cruz: Kaizer Chiefs Coach Backed After His Comments on Brandon Petersen’s Recent Error
- Kaizer Chiefs were held to a 1-1 draw by Polokwane City after goalkeeper Brandon Petersen conceded from a set piece
- Coach Fernando Da Cruz refused to single out Petersen but acknowledged the pattern of costly individual errors costing Chiefs points
- A football analyst exclusively told Briefly News that Da Cruz made the right call in shielding his captain from public blame
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Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz has defended goalkeeper Brandon Petersen after a costly error contributed to the club's 1-1 draw against Polokwane City in their latest league fixture.
Petersen, 32, failed to stop Giovanni Philander's effort after Polokwane City capitalised on a set piece, allowing the visitors to cancel out Chiefs' lead and take a share of the points. Despite widespread scrutiny directed at the goalkeeper, Da Cruz stopped short of placing blame on Petersen in his post-match comments.
Da Cruz points to recurring pattern
The coach acknowledged Petersen had performed well early in the match, making two notable saves in the first half, before the critical lapse.
"Yes, for sure, it's disappointing [to concede like that] because, in the first half, Brandon Petersen made two great saves, but after that, I didn't see anything," Da Cruz said. "We knew that they [Polokwane City] are very good at set pieces and crosses. But when we concede this type of goal, it can be disappointing."
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Da Cruz broadened his concern beyond a single incident, pointing to a recurring problem in recent matches. "Before we didn't make mistakes, we didn't give chances to the opponents to score," he said. "But now since Richards Bay, then Siwelele and today Polokwane City, the opponent doesn't create chances but we make big mistakes and we give opponents the chance to score goals."
The result drops Kaizer Chiefs to fourth place in the standings, intensifying questions about whether Da Cruz will retain Petersen between the posts for the club's next fixture.
Analyst backs Da Cruz's approach
Football analyst Uche Anuma, speaking exclusively to Briefly News, supported the coach's decision not to publicly call out his goalkeeper.
"Da Cruz did the right thing for not blaming Petersen after their draw against Polokwane City; piling the blame on him now would down his morale more, with the fans already piling pressure on him on social media," Anuma said.
He added that Petersen's standing within the squad warranted patience, but noted that the situation could not be ignored indefinitely.
"Petersen is the team's captain, and I believe he would be back to his best, but the coach would need to take drastic action if the mistakes continue," Anuma said.
Brian Baloyi raises questions over Brandon Petersen
Briefly News previously reported that Kaizer Chiefs legend Brian Baloyi had raised concerns over Brandon Petersen's performances after the goalkeeper made another costly mistake.
The former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper also questioned Petersen's approach between the posts and suggested there could be more pressure on the Chiefs captain with competition waiting behind him.
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Source: Briefly News
