‘It’s time he smells the bench’ – Baloyi fed up with blundering Kaizer Chiefs star

Kaizer Chiefs legend Brian Baloyi has joined the chorus of those calling for goalkeeper Brandon Petersen to be dropped.

Petersen is a man under the spotlight after a catalogue of what have been errors for Chiefs, costing the team crucial points in the process.

The goalkeeper, who was Chiefs’ best player last season as he made crucial saves propelling Amakhosi to third place, has been a shadow of his former self so far this term.

Petersen was at fault on Saturday when he failed to cover his near post as Polokwane City scored a dubious goal to deny the Glamour Boys victory with the game ending 1-1.

This was after his mistake against Golden Arrows saw Chiefs eliminated from the MTN8 before blunders against Mamelodi Sundowns Richards Bay in games that his team drew 1-1 and 2-2 respectively.

Why Baloyi wants Petersen benched

“I said it in the last game, in the last two games, I thought by now, he would be sitting on the bench,” Baloyi, a former Chiefs goalkeeper, said on SoccerBeat.

“I know sometimes coaches like to reward a player and want to be loyal and do not want to make it obvious that you are the one making the errors but I think by now, it has come to a point where it is too much,” added Baloyi.

“A lot of schoolboy errors and it is okay sometimes when you make those errors and they don’t end up in a resulting goal but unfortunately, this season, they are all resulting in goals and costing Chiefs valuable points. I believe it is time that he smells the bench.”

Baloyi feels coach Fernando da Cruz might be finding it hard to drop a player who was not only outstanding in 205-26 but is also the club captain, but insists it is best for both player and team if he is dropped.

“These errors are resulting in goals at a crucial stage for a Chiefs that is on the revival trying to challenge Pirates and Sundowns and I can understand how difficult it is for the coach because he is your captain and to drop your captain becomes a difficult thing,” said Baloyi.

Kaizer Chiefs keeper’s poor form explained

“I think to be fair to him [Petersen] and the other players and those around him and the other goalkeepers, for him to revive himself, to get the hunger back, he should be benched so that he becomes angry with himself and work on himself.”

While he is calling for Petersen to be benched, Baloyi has also attempted to answer why the goalkeeper is struggling just a few months after his scintillating form between the posts.

“Could it be that he did so well last season that missing out on the World Cup is playing on his mind?” Baloyi posed, referring to Petersen missing out of the final 2026 World Cup squad, having been part of the preliminary team.

“So maybe starting the season and pre-season has not been good so it could really contribute to his dismissal performances. If he is honest with himself, he knows he is not playing at his level.”

Chiefs will be next in action on Sunday and it remains to be seen if Da Cruz will stick with his captain or take him out of the firing line.