Petersen makes bold Chiefs claim ahead of Soweto Derby

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen has made a bold claim ahead of the Soweto derby against Orlando Pirates on Saturday afternoon at FNB Stadium.

The Glamour Boys head into the highly anticipated encounter under pressure, having endured mixed results this season, including an early elimination from the CAF Confederation Cup.

Chiefs have also struggled against their arch-rivals in recent league meetings, with their last Premiership victory over Pirates coming in February 2023.

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However, Amakhosi received a timely confidence boost on Tuesday when they defeated TS Galaxy 3-0 in the Carling Knockout round of 16 to secure their place in the next round.

Despite that result, Chiefs are widely viewed as underdogs heading into the derby, given their recent record against the Buccaneers. Petersen has acknowledged that perception but insists it will not change his team’s ambitions.

“I think obviously that’s part of football, given your form, given your run and given the past. There’s always the underdog and I think in this case everyone will be saying Chiefs are underdogs, because obviously the run they have been on and all of that,” Petersen told Journalists at the Soweto derby press conference at SuperSport Studios in Randburg.

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The former Bidvest Wits goalkeeper stressed that his team must concentrate on its own progress rather than become distracted by Pirates’ strengths.

The 32-year-old shot-stopper believes Chiefs have been improving with every match and must continue addressing the areas that have been holding them back.

“And I think for us, it is important to focus on us and not too much on them (Pirates). We obviously have a journey, we’ve been improving game to game and obviously we know what has been lacking and I think it’s important for us to make sure that we continue to work on that,” Petersen continued.

The Bafana shot-stopper was also unequivocal about Amakhosi’s intentions, insisting that their underdog status will not affect their determination to claim maximum points.

“Going to the derby, we have a goal in our head, we want to win it. There’s no beating around the bush. We’re going into the derby to win it,” Petersen declared.

Fifth-placed Chiefs are eight points behind Pirates, who are second in the standings, after eight rounds of matches.

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