Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen is confident that they will be shining next season after the struggles of last term.
Chiefs limped to a ninth-place finish in the PSL in 2024-25 although winning the Nedbank Cup provided the silver lining to what was a tough first season for coach Nasreddine Nabi at the club.
Inconsistency and a porous defence let Chiefs down as they were stuck in midtable throughout the campaign but Petersen has already seen enough in pre-season to convince him that another season of struggle is now history.
“I think 100 per cent [we have improved]. If you compare last season, like from the start of pre-season to the start of this pre-season,” Petersen told SABC Sport.
Chiefs goalkeeper identifies what let them down
“Last season, it was new coaches, new technical team, new ideals and all of that. It was not being 100 per cent sure of what we want to do, where we want to be and where we are supposed to be.
“But I think this season, starting from the pre-season, people can see that there is so much more trust. More understanding of the game play. Knowing what we want to do, and I think the main part is understanding the role and responsibility within the system.”
Petersen says the players now understand the coach better and have also been building a good understanding amongst themselves which will soon come off well.
What gives Petersen confidence of a good season?
“I think this season, you can see that the guys are understanding that. That gives us the confidence to be able to stick to the game plan to do what we can do and show the people that this is what we have been working on,” he went on.
“I know for a fact that from here, we are just going to get better because – yes, there are still a few things that need to be fixed in the build-up, but you can see there is so much improvement and progress.
“So definitely for sure this season, you will see us more confident, playing from the back and obviously sustaining attacks and keeping the ball.”
Chiefs have had a mixed pre-season as they played five matches in their two-week stay in the Netherlands, losing four and winning one, while they played out a goalless draw with Ghana giants Asante Kotoko on Saturday, losing 3-2 on post-match penalties in the Toyota Cup.
