No respect: KAIZER Chiefs goalkeeper Faicre Ntwari's future is uncertain after he became a fringe player the whole season.
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Brandon Petersen has enjoyed his best season at Kaizer Chiefs, keeping 17 clean sheets in 34 matches – an impressive run of form that he will be eager to continue in the final two games of the season against AmaZulu FC on Saturday and Chippa United on May 23.
While closing off the season in Durban would mark a decent campaign for Chiefs, who have already secured a third-place finish on the log, the club also needs to start looking ahead to next season, beginning with the goalkeeping department.
Granted, the priority within the Chiefs camp will be ensuring that Petersen strengthens his chances of making the final Bafana Bafana World Cup squad, which is why he will likely feature in the remaining two matches.
However, under different circumstances, Chiefs may have been expected to give fringe players an opportunity, including goalkeepers Bruce Bvuma and Fiacre Ntwari, to prove whether they still deserve a place in the squad next season.
For much of the campaign, Petersen has been one of the key figures holding Chiefs together. His performances in goal have played a major role in keeping the club in its current league position.
As such, when the former Bidvest Wits goalkeeper was sidelined through injury, his absence was immediately noticeable. Bvuma struggled to fill the void, with frustrated supporters even calling for the club to turn to younger options if necessary.
It is easy to understand the supporters’ frustrations. Bvuma came through the club’s development structures and was widely expected to follow in the footsteps of former academy graduate Itumeleng Khune, who went on to become one of the club’s most celebrated goalkeepers.
That has not happened. As a result, questions remain over the value Bvuma brings to the team if he cannot consistently challenge Petersen whenever he is given an opportunity.
Then there is Ntwari. The towering Rwandan goalkeeper looked promising when he joined Chiefs from TS Galaxy a few seasons ago, having also established himself as his national team’s first-choice goalkeeper.
However, Ntwari has since fallen down the pecking order and spent more time in the stands than with the squad. At one stage during the first half of the season, rumours even surfaced that he had left the club, only for him to reappear earlier this year.
Like Bvuma, Ntwari has yet to fully inspire confidence and would likely come under heavy scrutiny from supporters, particularly the Amakhosi faithful, if he were suddenly called upon during an emergency in the goalkeeping department.
Given all that, Chiefs management have an important task ahead. Once they decide the futures of co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef, along with identifying the man who will lead the team next season, their attention should turn to signing a new goalkeeper.
If Chiefs are serious about challenging for major honours again, strengthening that department may be essential – echoing the famous words of Alex Ferguson that “goalkeepers win titles, while strikers win matches.”