Despite receiving major fanfare as part of the Carling Cup All Stars team, Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen says he is not concerned about being overlooked for Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) squad.
The All Stars team will face Carling Knockout champions Orlando Pirates at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
With the starting line-up for the All Stars selected by fans across various categories, Petersen received the most votes – 167810.
Although Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos initially named Petersen in his preliminary squad, he ultimately left him out of the final group, opting instead for captain Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, and Sipho Chaine as his three goalkeepers for AFCON in Morocco.
Petersen had been included in the preliminary squad after keeping nine clean sheets in 13 matches for Chiefs.
“It is bittersweet? No,” Petersen said at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“At the end of the day, I want to be in the national team to represent my country. But for me, the most important job is at Kaizer Chiefs; they pay my salary, and that is where I work.
“The only thing I can control is my performances at club level. I can’t control what the national coach, Hugo Broos, decides—that is his job.
“Whether he picks me or not, I can’t complain. As a footballer, you always want to be there, because that is your aim. But my main focus is performing at club level and being the best I can be.”
Bafana Bafana are in Group B and will face Egypt, Angola, and Zimbabwe, with South Africa opening their campaign against Angola on 22 December.
The Carling Knockout campaign recorded 8.1 million votes, with 21,687 tickets sold for the 51,000-seater Moses Mabhida Stadium game.
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