Chiefs Goalkeeper Warns Against Slow Start, Urges Momentum

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen has revealed that the team’s past slow starts have come back to haunt them, forcing them to rely on others and “bring out the calculators” to secure favorable outcomes at the end of the season.

Chiefs began the 2025/26 season with a 2-0 victory over Stellenbosch at a sold-out Athlone Stadium, marking their fourth consecutive win against Steve Barker’s team.

Last season, Chiefs also started with a win but ultimately finished outside the top eight for the second time in a row.

Chiefs are one of six teams who won on the opening weekend, alongside Siwelele, Sekhukhune United, Durban City, Marumo Gallants, and AmaZulu. Siwelele currently leads the log on goal difference.

As Chiefs prepare to host Polokwane City at FNB Stadium on Wednesday [19:30], Petersen stressed the importance of building momentum, especially with their commitments in the CAF Confederation Cup.

“I think it is very important to collect points at the start of the season,” Petersen said. “Especially considering how the schedule is because we have CAF responsibility coming up. I think for us it is important to build on the past weekend’s positive results, and I think in the past we have failed to do that.”

Chiefs will be seeking revenge against Phut Mohafe’s side, who took four points from them last season.

Petersen, who is likely to start in goal on Wednesday, continued, “We always find ourselves playing catch-up at the end, starting to do calculations to see where we stand. I think that comes from not picking up points early in the season.

“You have seen with other teams when they pick up the points early in the season, when it comes to the end of the season, they cruise. I think it is important for us this season to make that a priority, to make sure that we get maximum points from every game so that in the long run, we don’t have to look back and say ‘We should have, we could have, we would have.’ Let’s just take one game at a time and make sure we collect each point in each game.”