Defender Thabo Moloysane stated that the Kaiser Chiefs team is not panicking over the injury of goalkeeper and captain Brandon Petersen, as they have enough substitutes ahead of the match against Golden Arrows.
Petersen sustained a knee injury during Tuesday's training, which will keep him off the field for four to six weeks after participating in all Betway Premier League and MTN8 games.
Although Petersen remains a key player for the team, some external commentary suggests that his injury could be an unexpected advantage, considering the four costly errors he made this season. These errors led to disappointing results, including elimination from the MTN8 quarterfinals against Golden Arrows, as well as draws with Mamelodi Sundowns, Richards Bay, and Polokwane City in the last match.
The Chiefs will continue without Petersen on Sunday afternoon (at 15:00) when they travel to the neutral Mbombela stadium in Nelspruit to face Golden Arrows. Moloysane supported both Bruce Bvumo and Renaldo Liner as potential replacements for Petersen.
Moloysane noted: 'Firstly, I wish 'Bizueru' a speedy recovery. I hope he gets better soon. I think we have capable goalkeepers. Bruce and Renaldo are here. We are not panicking at all. Our goal is to ensure the team wins, and we support each other.'
Reflecting on the first encounter with Arrows at the start of the season, Moloysane believes they should not have lost that game, so the team will strive to make up for lost ground in Mbombela. He added: 'We are preparing well for them. We lost a game we shouldn't have lost. It was a game with few chances and minor mistakes. But at the same time, we know that this is a team that plays a lot of counterattacks and runs behind the defense. So we prepared for that.'
Arrows decided to postpone the match to their home stadium in the 'City of the Rising Sun' themselves. Moloysane is not concerned about the venue, stating that they can dominate the stands, and they need to translate that into their playing performance. He concluded: 'I don't think it will be a disadvantage for us. One of our characteristics is that we are always at home. No matter where we play. Our fans support us in every match. This definitely won't be an away game for us, and we must use that to our advantage.'
