Has Broos realised his mistake? Bafana Bafana boss concedes Kaizer Chiefs’ Brandon Petersen can replace Ronwen Williams

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos recently confirmed his squad for the Panama friendly double-header in the next couple of days and revealed he would have included Kaizer Chiefs captain Brandon Petersen.

The surprising move was in the goalkeeping department, where he overlooked Orlando Pirates shot-stopper Sipho Chaine and opted to go with his regular Ronwen Williams who will be deputised by Siwelele FC’s Ricardo Goss as well as Sekhukhune United man Renaldo Leaner.

Petersen has been one of the most improved players in the Premier Soccer League this season. The 31-year-old has kept 11 clean sheets in the 16 South African top-flight outings. In the 27 games played, across all competitions, the custodian has stopped the opponents from finding the back of the net 15 times.

Coach Hugo Broos insists he is planning for the future of the goalkeeping department, and Petersen might replace Williams in the future.

Maybe Kaizer Chiefs Petersen will be Bafana Bafana’s No. 1

“Leaner is with us, but when you also see Brandon Petersen, he was performing very well with Chiefs. It was the same thing, I think, more than a year ago,” he said as quoted by FARPost.

“Then suddenly, his performances dropped. We said, ‘no, we don’t take him’. So, I thought I could take him now, but he is injured. But it’s good that you have people to back up those guys who are always there. One day, we shall have to replace them. 

“Ronwen cannot play until he is 40. So, we have to look for the future. Maybe those guys like Leaner or Petersen will be Bafana Bafana goalkeepers in future,” Broos concluded.

Petersen was included in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations’ preliminary squad by Broos, but he didn’t make the final squad. Currently, the custodian is working on his fitness hoping to be included in the 2026 World Cup squad.