Former Kaizer Chiefs keeper Shongwe backs Peterson to start in goal in the Soweto derby

Johannesburg — Former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper William Shongwe has backed Brandon Peterson to don the No. 1 jersey when Amakhosi clash with arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in a league encounter at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Chiefs have endured a goalkeeping conundrum this season. So much so that they had to play all their keepers, Peterson, Bruce Bvuma, Itumeleng Khune and Daniel Akpeyi, after costly errors that saw the team in and out of the title race.

However, Akpeyi emerged as the first choice goalie for the better part of the first half of the season. But that changed early this year after he was rested for being with Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations – with Peterson starting all the games.

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After conceding four goals in his first match for the club against Royal AM last year, the former Ajax Cape Town keeper bounced back strongly this year, keeping two clean sheets in three games.

However, will he have the mental capacity to thrive in his first ever Soweto derby? Former club keeper-turned pundit, Shongwe, thinks so, given the fact that he’s high on confidence currently after keeping those two clean sheets in the league.

“The technical team has a huge headache when it comes to that department,” Shongwe told IOL Sport on Wednesday. “But I feel that they must give it to him. He’s done very well since the start of the year, especially after Akpeyi was at the Afcon.

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“The goalkeeping department is one that department that you don’t want to tamper with a lot. So I feel that Brandon has done very well in his last games especially