Benni McCarthy Comforts Kaizer Chiefs Star After Shock Bafana Bafana World Cup Omission

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has publicly encouraged Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen after he was surprisingly omitted from the Bafana Bafana squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

The former Manchester United attacking coach, who famously experienced a similar disappointment ahead of the 2010 World Cup, reached out to Petersen after coach Hugo Broos announced his final selection this week for the tournament in Mexico, Canada, and the US.

In a comment on one of Petersen's Instagram posts, the former Bafana Bafana striker offered words of consolation.

"You deserved more, broertjie," McCarthy wrote. "But you should be proud of everything you did up until now. Better things are coming your way. Keep pushing, my man."

Petersen, the captain of Kaizer Chiefs, expressed his gratitude to McCarthy for the supportive message.

During a media briefing following the squad announcement, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos explained his decision to leave the 31-year-old goalkeeper out of the team.

Broos stated that he had insufficient time to properly assess Petersen's chemistry with the rest of the squad, as the keeper had only spent two days with the national team setup.

"I know Petersen as a goalkeeper," Broos said. "What I said to him yesterday evening... 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."

While Petersen received commiserations, legendary former Kaizer Chiefs captain Itumeleng Khune appeared to endorse the goalkeepers who made the final cut.

On his Instagram Stories, Khune shared an image featuring the selected trio of Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, and Sipho Chaine, captioning it: "All the best, brothers. Bafana is in good hands."