Exclusive: Petersen Set To Replace Chaine In Bafana Bafana World Cup Squad
Sportswire has been informed that Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen is set to be included in the final Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, provided he avoids injury in the coming matches.
This would come as no surprise after Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos revealed that he had considered including Petersen for the two friendly matches against Panama in March, but the goalkeeper was unavailable following an appendix operation.
Petersen has since been a key figure for Chiefs, notably producing a crucial late save to preserve a draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in a high-stakes Betway Premiership clash at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday.
That performance appeared to further impress Broos, who watched the match from the VIP suite alongside assistant coach Helman Mkhalele.
This publication has learned that Petersen is expected to replace Sipho Chaine when Broos announces his final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
This comes despite Chaine breaking Orlando Pirates’ record for the most clean sheets in a single season. The goalkeeper registered his 18th clean sheet as Pirates secured a 2-0 victory over Stellenbosch on Tuesday, surpassing Moeneeb Josephs’ previous club record of 17 set during the 2009/10 season.
Chaine also equalled the PSL single-season clean sheet record of 18, set by Mamelodi Sundowns captain Ronwen Williams during the 2022/23 campaign.
Following the victory over Stellenbosch, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou expressed hope that Chaine would be included in the Bafana Bafana squad.
However, according to a Sportswire source, those achievements are unlikely to change Broos’ thinking.
The source claims Chaine damaged both his chances and his relationship with Broos during the Africa Cup of Nations, which was held in Morocco from December last year to January this year.
It is alleged that Chaine caused friction within the national team camp during the tournament, reportedly questioning the preference shown to Sundowns players, including captain Ronwen Williams.
Another player reportedly viewed as problematic during the tournament was Sipho Mbule. This publication revealed a few weeks ago that Mbule is also unlikely to be included in the World Cup squad after allegedly failing to make the most of his opportunities and contributing to disciplinary concerns during AFCON.
Although Broos did not go into detail publicly, he admitted after the tournament that there were aspects of the team’s discipline and conduct that left him dissatisfied.
Petersen, meanwhile, has consistently pushed for national team recognition this season, with his performances helping Amakhosi occupy third place in the league standings.
Despite missing matches through injury, Petersen has featured in 28 games across all competitions and kept 15 clean sheets.
As things stand, when Broos announces his final squad later this month, the goalkeeping department is expected to consist of Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss and Brandon Petersen.
Bafana Bafana will open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against co-hosts Mexico on 11 June.
