Chiefs star tells off critics: ‘Those words & negative stuff going around don’t define me’

Kaizer Chiefs captain Brandon Petersen is determined to help prove his worth despite backlash from a section of the club’s supporters.

The custodian had a solid 2025/26 campaign as he inspired the Glamour Boys finish third on the table which was the first time in six years. He even made the preliminary Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but couldn’t make the final one.

Petersen didn’t start the ongoing campaign as expected, making high-profile mistakes that saw his team lose important matches. This was before he suffered a knee injury in training that kept him out for weeks.

The skipper made his return in Chiefs’ 3-0 Carling Knockout victory over TS Galaxy in the Round of 32. Ahead of the Soweto derby in the Premier Soccer League against Orlando Pirates, Petersen has vowed to continue giving his best and prove the critics wrong.

It is important to know who you are – Petersen

“I think the most important thing for me is to know that those words and negative stuff going around doesn’t define me as a person, as a footballer, because I’m much more than that,” Petersen told the media.

“Secondly, it’s for me to know my worth and yeah, like I said, it’s important to know who you are and what you stand for.

“And when you get that right, I mean, nothing else that’s happening around you really, I won’t say faze you, but it doesn’t really buckle you or it’s not really an obstacle in the road because for me, I know what I’m about. 

“I know what I’m able to produce. And like I said, it’s believing in myself and knowing that the people around me believes in me. So, the main focus should always be improving and getting better and, you know, giving a good display of yourself,” he concluded.