Akpeyi defends under-fire Petersen
by Sipho Mlotha · KickOffFormer Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi has backed the club's captain and current number one, Brandon Petersen, to return to his best form as the season progresses.
Chiefs' defence has experienced a shaky start to the 2026/27 campaign. Petersen, who finished last season with 15 clean sheets, has only managed one in seven matches across all competitions — a stark contrast that has drawn criticism from sections of the Amakhosi faithful.
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"The problem is not with Chiefs"
Akpeyi, who shared the dressing room with Petersen during his time at Naturena, believes the shot-stopper's struggles are part of a broader trend across the league rather than an isolated issue at Chiefs.
"The problem is not with Kaizer Chiefs; the problem is the stage of the season we are currently in. A whole lot of teams are conceding goals. Teams are still trying to gel. Even Mamelodi Sundowns as well, they've been conceding," Akpeyi told KickOff.
"But I'm sure Chiefs are working on having a better defensive organisation. I believe there's a lot of room for improvement in that team."
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"He must work on his mentality"
The former Nigeria international offered a candid assessment of what Petersen needs to focus on to rediscover his form, insisting that the quality is not in question.
"Petersen is a top goalkeeper. He is going through some of those things a goalkeeper experiences. I'm sure he knows fully well where he can do better. I'm pretty much sure it has nothing to do with his ability; he must work on his mentality. One or two bad games do not make you a bad goalkeeper overnight. You cannot fault Petersen's quality," Akpeyi added.
Amakhosi will be keen to keep a clean sheet when they face Polokwane City in their Betway Premiership match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, with kick-off at 15:00.