Exclusive: Petersen to Replace Chaine in Bafana Bafana’s World Cup Squad

Sportswire has confirmed that Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen is set to be included in the final Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as long as he remains injury-free in the forthcoming matches.

This update comes as no surprise, given that Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos had earlier contemplated selecting Petersen for the two friendly encounters against Panama in March; however, the goalkeeper was unavailable due to an appendix surgery.

Since returning to action, Petersen has been vital for Chiefs, pulling off a crucial late save that earned a draw against Mamelodi Sundowns in a thrilling Betway Premiership match at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday.

This display seemed to further catch Broos’ attention, as he watched the match from the VIP suite alongside assistant coach Helman Mkhalele.

Sources suggest that Petersen is expected to replace Sipho Chaine when Broos reveals his final roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

This situation arises following Chaine’s remarkable feat of breaking the Orlando Pirates’ record for the most clean sheets in a single season. The goalkeeper achieved his 18th clean sheet as Pirates won 2-0 against Stellenbosch on Tuesday, surpassing Moeneeb Josephs’ former club record of 17 set in the 2009/10 season.

Chaine has also equaled the PSL single-season clean sheet record of 18, established by Mamelodi Sundowns’ captain Ronwen Williams in the 2022/23 season.

After the victory over Stellenbosch, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou expressed his desire for Chaine to be included in the Bafana Bafana lineup.

However, sources at Sportswire suggest that these accomplishments may not influence Broos’ choices.

It has been reported that Chaine may have negatively impacted both his chances and his rapport with Broos during the Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco from December last year to January this year.

Chaine allegedly stirred tensions within the national team camp during the tournament by questioning the perceived favoritism towards Sundowns players, including captain Ronwen Williams.

Another player considered problematic during the tournament was Sipho Mbule. Previous reports have indicated that Mbule is also expected to be left out of the World Cup squad after failing to seize his opportunities and causing disciplinary issues during AFCON.

While Broos has not explicitly articulated his grievances, he acknowledged after the tournament that certain elements of team discipline and conduct left him dissatisfied.

In contrast, Petersen has been consistently advocating for national team inclusion this season, with his performances significantly contributing to Amakhosi’s current third-place position in the league.

Despite some injury-related absences, Petersen has made 28 appearances across all competitions, achieving 15 clean sheets.

As it stands, Broos is expected to unveil a goalkeeping lineup comprising Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, and Brandon Petersen later this month.

Bafana Bafana will launch their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against co-hosts Mexico on June 11.