Brandon Petersen on Kaizer Chiefs kingmaker role in the PSL title race as Mamelodi Sundowns showdown looms

The race for the Betway Premiership title has reached fever pitch, with Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates separated by a hair's breadth.

Masandawana currently lead the pack while the Buccaneers are breathing down their necks.

Having already held Orlando Pirates to a 1-1 draw - a result that significantly dented the Sea Robbers' championship aspirations - Kaizer Chiefs now prepare to face Mamelodi Sundowns in a massive midweek encounter.

The Soweto giants effectively hold the cards in the title race, but Brandon Petersen insists the team is looking inward rather than at the trophy destination.

Speaking to iDiski Times, Petersen made it clear that while fans and pundits are obsessed with the "king maker" narrative, the squad's primary objective is returning to African competition.

The shot-stopper emphasized that finishing the season strongly is the only priority for the team as they look to improve on a disappointing recent history.

“I think for us, the most important thing is we told ourselves that we want to finish as high as possible, and obviously, we want to secure continental football for next season,” Petersen said.

“So for us, the most important thing is to accumulate as many points as we can, and obviously finish the season off strong.

"You know, we’ve had, I would say, a good run in the league this season compared to previous seasons.”

Despite the looming clash against the defending champions, the Amakhosi keeper is adamant that they are not stepping onto the pitch simply to spoil the party for others.

He believes that maintaining internal standards and securing maximum points is the only way to ensure they satisfy their own supporters and reach their targets.

Petersen concluded by saying: “So for us, the main focus, I know everyone’s speaking about obviously having a say in the title race and all of that, we still have to play Sundowns.

"I think the main focus is on ourselves, where we can improve, where we can just make sure that we stay consistent and make sure we get maximum points out of the next fixtures that we have to play.

"So, it’s not that much of having a say in who wins the league. It’s for us to just try and collect maximum points and make sure that we finish the season strong and secure the continental football for next season.”

Kaizer Chiefs have an opportunity to show their supporters that they have raised their levels to the point where they can match Sundowns in a league game.

In their last four PSL clashes with the Pretoria club, Chiefs have lost three, drawn once and conceded eight goals, while scoring just twice.

However, while this result is critical for the chances of the Black and White side of Soweto, for those in Black and Gold the result is less important in their quest to finish third and qualify for CAF continental competition.

Chiefs have a five point cushion over their nearest rivals AmaZulu who they face in a possible winner takes all clash on May 16.

Ahead of that they face a tough away trip against Sekhukhune United on May 10 and finish the season at home against Chippa on May 23.