Benni McCarthy Defends Brandon Petersen After FIFA World Cup Snub

Former Bafana Bafana coach Benni McCarthy has come out in support of Kaizer Chiefs captain Brandon Petersen, who was left out of the South African national team's FIFA World Cup squad.

Benni McCarthy sympathised with Brandon Petersen after he failed to make the Bafana Bafana FIFA World Cup squad announced by coach Hugo Broos this week. Like McCarthy himself in 2010, the Kaizer Chiefs captain has not been selected to play at the tournament, set to take place next month in Mexico, Canada, and the US.

BENNI MCCARTHY ENCOURAGES BRANDON PETERSEN AFTER BAFANA SNUB Under one of his Instagram posts, Benni McCarthy left a message of encouragement to Brandon Petersen. He commented to the younger footballer: "You deserved more broertjie. But you should be proud of everything you did up until now. Better things are coming your way. Keep pushing, my man." Brandon, the captain and goalkeeper of Kaizer Chiefs, thanked Benni for the message.

Images via Instagram

On Wednesday, Bafana coach Hugo Broos named the three goalkeepers he would be taking to the FIFA World Cup: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Riccardo Goss (Siwelele FC), and Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates). ITUMELENG KHUNE GIVES THE THUMBS UP While Brandon Petersen received a message of consolation from Benni McCarthy, a former Orlando Pirates player, retired Kaizer Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune appeared to give the thumbs up to the goalkeepers selected to play in the World Cup. On his Instagram Stories, Khune reposted an animation of Williams, Goss, and Chaine, adding: "All the best brothers. Bafana is in good hands".

BENNI MCCARTHY AND BRANDON PETERSEN: A FAMILIAR SCENARIO Benni McCarthy knows a thing or two about being left out of the Bafana Bafana squad for a major tournament. In 2010, McCarthy was overlooked for the World Cup, and he has spoken publicly about the disappointment he felt. This experience likely influenced his message to Brandon Petersen, urging him to stay positive and focused on his future goals.

WHO IS BENNI MCCARTHEY? Benni McCarthy is a former South African footballer and coach. Born on January 18, 1977, in Cape Town, McCarthy began his professional career at Ajax Cape Town before moving to Portugal with Benfica in 2002. He has also played for Porto, Fiorentina, and Blackburn Rovers. McCarthy returned to South Africa to play for Orlando Pirates before becoming a coach with the same club.

In 2010, he was appointed as the Bafana Bafana coach, leading the team to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brazil.

Brandon Petersen, on the other hand, has been playing for Kaizer Chiefs since 2016 and is considered one of the top goalkeepers in South Africa. He was also part of the Bafana Bafana squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.

BENNI MCCARTHY SYMPATHISES WITH BRANDON PETERSEN After failing to make the Bafana Bafana squad, Brandon Petersen was left out of the World Cup. Coach Hugo Broos explained that he didn't have enough time to assess if the 31-year-old would be a good fit with the rest of the team. "Petersen was only two days with us. I know Petersen as a goalkeeper. 'What I said to him yesterday evening, after we came back from the announcement – I have to choose between three goalkeepers, Goss, Chaine, and you; I have to choose two goalkeepers. 'When you look at the quality of those guys, I can't choose because they have the same quality."