Baxter turns unloved Chan to his benefit

Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter says he has found a way to use the unwanted African Nations Championship and the Cosafa Cup to his advantage.

''I think we have at least found a way that we can approach Cosafa and Chan and it will serve South African football rather than we just keep picking these random teams," the Bafana coach said.

Bafana beat Botswana 1-0 in Rustenburg on Saturday in the two-legged Chan qualifier and won the tie 3-0 on aggregate after winning 2-0 in the first leg in Francistown on July 15. They play Zambia in the next round.

Baxter sent out call-up letters to young players and gave some of them priceless international experience.

''I think that the South African public have been a little apathetic with their view of Cosafa and Chan," Baxter said.

''But they have a right to be also because we never really placed it anywhere in our programme.

''What we have tried to do now is to put it somewhere, where it serves South African football. But we have Zambia now and the young ones will get a couple of international games," Baxter said.