Stuart Baxter and Steve Komphela pay tribute to Chiefs coaching legend Jeff Butler

24 April 2017 - 13:14 By Marc Strydom
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Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Jeff Butler has died. File photo.
Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Jeff Butler has died. File photo.
Image: Supplied

Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela and ex-Amakhosi boss Stuart Baxter have paid their respects to the legacy left at the club of one of their predecessors‚ Jeff Butler‚ who died on Saturday.

Komphela arrived as a defender at Chiefs in 1993‚ the year after Butler had left after two treble-winning seasons of spectacular success in 1991 and 1992 that made the Englishman an Amkakhosi coaching legend.

Komphela did work with Butler when the Englishman had a brief stint as Bafana Bafana coach soon after South Africa’s readmission to international football in 1992.

“We had a wonderful opportunity and a unique one to work with Jeff. I worked with him at the national team‚ and that’s where I also had an opportunity to be captain for South Africa‚” Komphela said.

  • Former Chiefs coach Jeff Butler dies‚ moment of silence to be held in Nedbank quarterfinalFormer Kaizer Chiefs coach Jeff Butler has died‚ according to the club. 

“I played with great players there‚ and Jeff used to motivate us.

“I remember at some stage Jeff even visited Free State Stars‚ which then was Fairway Stars‚ and conducted a few sessions.

“He was a really unique person in terms of how he handled players and environments. And also his track record at Chiefs speaks volumes.

“Unfortunately we don’t live forever. At some stage of our lives a chapter has to be closed.

“And how beautiful it is that we are reading a book at the moment by Jeff Butler that has so much in it – pride‚ humanity‚ the type of person he was‚ adapting to conditions in Africa and the legacy he left.

“And we can only look back and say‚ ‘What is it that we can learn‚ and what is it that we can take forward?’”

Current SuperSport United coach Baxter has been compared in the past by Chiefs chairman Kaizer Motaung to Butler‚ who Motaung first imported to South Africa from Zambia in 1988‚ as an English coach who had success with Amakhosi.

“My condolences also to the family and friends of Jeff. I’m guessing that’s quite a large family‚ and an extended one‚” Baxter said.

“I didn’t have the pleasure or the privilege of working with him or seeing him work.

“What I will say is that when anybody comes from abroad‚ to any country‚ if you’re lucky then that person will leave something.

“There are an endless amount of coaches that drift around‚ coming to South Africa‚ taking some money‚ taking those Rands back to where they came from and not really caring if they’ve left anything or not.

“I think Jeff really did leave something behind him. And as Steve says‚ may we keep learning something from that.”

A moment’s silence was held in Butler’s honour ahead of Chiefs’ Nedbank Cup quarterfinal penalties defeat against SuperSport at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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