“Good Things Happen To Good People!” Why Kaze Is Backing Petersen For A Shock World Cup Ticket

Kaizer Chiefs co-coach Cedric Kaze has hailed the impressive performances of captain Brandon Petersen this season, saying that good things happen to good people.

Petersen proved to be an immovable barrier as Chiefs secured a league victory over AmaZulu at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

The 31-year-old was named Man of the Match after producing several outstanding saves, particularly in the first half, where he reacted quickly to parry away a goal-bound effort.

It was a crucial intervention, as Glody Lilepo later scored the winning goal in the 68th minute at the other end before being sent off for removing his shirt during the celebration, which resulted in his second yellow card.

The victory saw Chiefs move to 54 points after 29 matches — the first time they have surpassed the 50-point mark since the 2019/20 season, when they lost the league title to Mamelodi Sundowns on the final day of the campaign.

For Petersen, who saw limited action last season, the clean sheet against AmaZulu was his 15th in 24 league appearances this season, with Kaze crediting his consistent game time and work ethic.

“What has changed is the number of minutes he has played because he didn’t feature much last season,” said Kaze.

“He played in the Nedbank Cup final, but this season he has had a lot of game time.

“He is a player who works hard and trains every day with the same attitude and energy. I always tell the players that good things happen to good people.

“He is a player with tremendous human qualities before even being a footballer. I’m very happy for him because he deserves everything that is happening to him.”

According to this publication, Petersen’s impressive form has put him in contention to replace Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine as Bafana Bafana’s third-choice goalkeeper for the FIFA World Cup squad.

Chaine recorded his 20th clean sheet of the league season on Saturday despite Pirates dropping points against Durban City, but Hugo Broos was left mixed by his conduct in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Bafana Bafana coach Broos is expected to publicly announce his World Cup squad in the coming days after already submitting it to FIFA.

Broos previously stated that Petersen would have been part of the squad for the March friendlies against Panama had he not undergone an appendix operation.

When asked whether it would be unfair for Petersen to miss out on the World Cup squad, Kaze initially refused to be drawn into the discussion.

“I don’t want to comment on call-ups or non-call-ups because we will know soon enough,” said Kaze.

“The national team coach is experienced and knows what he wants for his team. We need to allow him to choose the players he wants in a transparent way.”

Although reluctant to comment at first, Kaze later admitted that he hopes Petersen earns a place in the squad.

“I just wish to see Brandon Petersen going to the World Cup because he deserves it based on the qualities and consistency he has shown throughout the season,” he added.

Chiefs will return to Durban next weekend when they “host” Chippa United in their final match of the season.