Brandon Petersen knows that in the Nedbank Cup, a gold-and-black crest is often just a target for an underdog’s stone. Standing at the glitzy tournament launch in Sandton on Thursday night, the Kaizer Chiefs captain carried the calm of a man who has finally tasted silverware, but the eyes of a keeper who knows how quickly a clean sheet can turn into a nightmare.
While arch-rivals Orlando Pirates and heavyweights Mamelodi Sundowns were paired with lower-league opposition, the defending champions, Amakhosi, were handed a jagged pill: a daunting trip to the Western Cape to face Stellenbosch FC.
For Petersen, the draw felt like a recurring chapter in a long-running novel. “I think Stellies and I have a good relationship,” he joked, his grin flashing under the bright lights of the launch. “This is my third time drawing Stellenbosch in a cup competition.”
But beneath the humour lies the grit of a man who knows that in the Nedbank Cup, the legendary Ke Yona, your reputation is stripped at the tunnel entrance. Once the whistle blows, the stars on your crest don’t stop bullets; only reflexes do.
The Ghost of Shocks Past
Petersen’s measured caution is born from the tournament’s cruel history. The Nedbank Cup is a graveyard where giants go to be humbled. To understand the captain’s focus, one only needs to look at the ghosts that haunt the Soweto giants.
In 2013, Orlando Pirates entered the Round of 32 as double treble winners, a juggernaut of the African game. They were dismantled 4-1 by Maluti FET College, a group of students from the ABC Motsepe League. It wasn’t just a defeat; it was a massacre that proved a third-tier side could make legends like Benni McCarthy and the late Senzo Meyiwa look ordinary.
Chiefs have their own scars. In 2011, a then-unknown Baroka FC emerged from the lower leagues to stun the Glamour Boys in the quarterfinals. More recently, the 2019 final remains a sore point for the Naturena faithful, when TS Galaxy, then a second-tier outfit, snatched the trophy through a Zakhele Lepasa penalty.
“This tournament has shown that there is no small team,” Petersen declared, his tone turning serious as he looked past the glitz of the launch to the reality of the pitch. “Everyone wants to beat you, especially when you are the defending champions. It doesn’t really matter who we play; we are ready to go to battle.”
The Familiarity of the Winelands
The clash with Stellenbosch is more than just a fixture; it is a tactical chess match with high emotional stakes. It was this exact fixture in last season’s quarter-final that served as the catalyst for Chiefs to finally end their 10-year trophy drought by beating Pirates 2-1 in the final. That run ended in a rain of gold confetti at the iconic Moses Mabhida, but the path back to that podium now runs directly through the Cape Winelands.
The narrative is further thickened by the presence of Gavin Hunt on the Stellenbosch bench. The former Chiefs tactician has replaced Steve Barker, adding a layer of “inside knowledge” to a Stellies side that has already proven to be a thorn in Amakhosi’s side, having dumped them out of the Carling Knockout Cup just last October.
“It is always an exciting game; history has shown that,” Petersen added. “We know in Cape Town, supporters always come out to back us. So we are looking forward to it. It’s going to be a tough one, but we are ready to defend our title.”
More Than a Number
The 2026 edition of the cup carries the theme “More than a number,” a sentiment Petersen embodies as the man wearing the ‘1’. For him, the transition from being the hunters in 2025 to the hunted in 2026 is a psychological shift he is eager to lead.
“Last season, we went in trying to break a drought,” he explained. “This season, it is a different confidence because we are the defending champions. When you have that belief and that confidence that you have done it before, you know you can do it again.”
As the event wrapped up and the cameras dimmed, the path for Amakhosi became clear. They won’t have the luxury of a ‘gentle’ start against a fourth-tier side like FC Cardinals or an ABC Motsepe team like Gomora United. They must start at the summit.
For Petersen, the road to glory isn’t a business trip; it’s a mission to protect the crown. In a tournament where ‘David’ regularly finds his stone, the Kaizer Chiefs captain is determined to ensure that this time, the giant stays standing.
“The important thing,” he concluded, “is to represent ourselves well and make sure we bring that trophy back to Naturena.”
Nedbank Cup Last 32 draw:
