Kaizer Chiefs' Brandon Petersen emphasises the importance of learning from past mistakes

Fine margins can shape an entire season, and few teams know this better than Kaizer Chiefs after navigating a challenging couple of campaigns.

This season has begun on a positive note, with two wins from their opening two fixtures. The side still appears to be a work in progress, but they have shown not only marked improvement, but also a renewed hunger to get as close as possible to some of their previous best standards.

Achieving that will require sustained effort. While the season will be a marathon, winning the smaller “sprints” along the way is just as important — and so far, so good.

Adding to their domestic responsibilities, Amakhosi will return to continental competition this season. Their Nedbank Cup triumph last term secured a place in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The last time the Glamour Boys competed on the African stage, they reached the 2021 CAF Champions League final, losing 3-0 to Al Ahly. With their confident start this season, maintaining momentum will be essential as fixtures begin to pile up.

Goalkeeper Brandon Petersen believes it will be important to learn from past mistakes.

“It’s very important to collect points at the start of the season," Petersen said.

“Especially considering how congested the schedule is, and obviously we have CAF responsibilities also, so for us it's important to build on this past weekend, because in the past we have failed to do that.

“And we would find ourselves playing catch-up at the end and starting to do calculations, and that comes from not picking up points early in the season.

“It’s important for us this season to make it a priority to make sure that every game that is at stake, we come with maximum points.”

One of Amakhosi’s biggest obstacles in recent seasons has been their inability to consistently shut out opponents.

This time, with Petersen earning a starting spot in goals early in the campaign after the club struggled to secure their preferred first-choice keeper, they have managed two clean sheets alongside their two victories.

The Chiefs shot-stopper added that continued defensive improvement will be crucial to their ambitions.

“It is always said that defence can win you championships," Petersen continued. “From the start of pre-season you can see how we are defending — not only our defenders but as a team. There is more urgency when we don’t have the ball, there is more work done without the ball, and it’s important for us.

“We want the ball all the time, but what do we do when we lose the ball?

“That has been something we have been working hard on. In terms of not conceding goals, the synergy and understanding has become much better amongst players. We want clean sheets as goalkeepers and defenders this season, but most importantly for us are the three points.”

The Glamour Boys also enter the season with several promising young talents in their ranks. Defender Aiden McCarthy has already made an impression, delivering back-to-back man-of-the-match performances in the opening two fixtures, and Petersen is pleased about their efforts so far.

“I am always excited seeing younger players coming into the team and shining," Petersen continued. “I was happy to see the performances of Aiden and (Naledi) Hlongwane because I could see the work that was put in during the pre-season by them, the determination and the hunger to show they are ready to play.

“For the rest of the team it keeps us on our toes, because you know there is a new generation coming through, but for me, in terms of leadership, it’s about keeping them grounded and making sure they don’t just ride the wave.

“It’s important to stay grounded. When you have good performances, ride the wave all the way, because for three games, one game might not be as good — and how do you bounce back?

“It will be important for us as a group to keep each other accountable about not getting carried away by past performances, but they did exceptionally well.”