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By Sibongiseni Gumbi

Football Writer


Bvuma feels blessed to compete with top internationals at Chiefs

"We have four good and capable keepers who on any day can go out there and do the job if the coach picks them."


The goalkeeping department at Kaizer Chiefs is so strong that Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos controversially selected Bruce Bvuma and Brandon Petersen from the same team when he picked his preliminary squad this week. 

Bvuma and Petersen are in the 37-man Bafana squad from which Broos will select his squad for the upcoming Caf Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Morocco and Zimbabwe. 

This is perhaps why Bvuma says he feels blessed to be working with his childhood hero Itumeleng Khune, Daniel Akpeyi and Petersen. 

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“For me to get the opportunity to play is a blessing, that’s number one,” said Bvuma this week. “I am grateful for the opportunity because I am competing with the best here at Chiefs… The coaches kept telling me to keep working because my chance would come,” adds the 26-year-old keeper. 

“I had to make sure that I keep working and ready for when my chance comes. We have four good and capable keepers who on any day can go out there and do the job if the coach picks them. It was important for me that while I was waiting, I worked hard.” 

Having grown up supporting Chiefs, Bvuma knew the club’s impressive history of having the top keepers and he knew he would have to work really hard to get a look in. 

“I knew when I came to Chiefs that the competition would be tough… And right now we have Daniel, Brandon and Itu – these are internationals. It takes a lot of hard work, patience and time as well. I knew it was not going to be easy but I kept working hard. 

“I am happy that now I have my chance and I am playing. All I have to do now is keep working hard and make sure that I am always ready. 

“These are international goalkeepers so I feel blessed working with them, spending each day with them. Someone like Itu, I have watched as I was growing up and I have always wanted to be next to him. Now that I am given an opportunity to learn from him every day, it is a blessing. I enjoy working with them.”