Baxter hints at the shape new-look Chiefs will take against Sundowns

13 August 2021 - 15:34 By Marc Strydom
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Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter and his players during the Carling Black Label Cup pre-season match against Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium on August 1, 2021.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter and his players during the Carling Black Label Cup pre-season match against Orlando Pirates at Orlando Stadium on August 1, 2021.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Stuart Baxter has given some hints as to the potential makeup of his new-look Kaizer Chiefs in their first match of 2021-22 in Sunday’s MTN8 quarterfinal against Mamelodi Sundowns.

As Amakhosi have gone on a signing spree to rebuild from six unprecedented seasons without silverware coach Baxter, back for his second stint at the club, suggested there might not be wholesale changes in his first starting XI of the season at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

He intimated that those new players who do get a start could come from among those signings who have played under the coach previously at Bafana Bafana or SuperSport United, so understand his philosophy and game model.

Baxter was asked about the potential makeup of his XI on Sunday, and how many of the signings might get a start.

“It’s difficult to say — I’m sure we’ll see some of them,” the coach, who has had a compressed preseason due to Chiefs losing to Al Ahly in the July 17 Caf Champions League final, responded.

“Everybody sort of has a different starting point, really, in terms of when did they come in, how much experience have they had before.

“So Cole Alexander, for example, is a new player but he’s had me as a coach before. Some of the lads were with me in the national team, and some were here in my first stint.

“Training will tell us who’s putting their hands up and who maybe needs a bit more time and maybe, due to fitness or otherwise, will start on the bench.

“I think there will be some changes. But I don’t think it will be wholesale changes given that we have signed a few players.”

Defensive midfielder Alexander, 32, played under Baxter at their last club, Odisha FC in India, and before that at SuperSport United in the 2016-17 season.

Among Chiefs’ other signings, Sifiso Hlanti, 31, signed from Swallows FC, played under Baxter with the national team. The then-Bidvest Wits left-back famously marked Liverpool star Mohamed Salah out of the game when Baxter’s Bafana shocked hosts Egypt 1-0 in the second round of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Keagan Dolly, 28, signed out-of-contract from Ligue 1 outfit Montpellier, also played under Baxter for Bafana, though is believed to be still gaining match fitness having joined Amakhosi from a long period of inactivity. He might get a look-in from the bench.

Exciting winger Kgaogelo Sekgota (also from Swallows), ex-AmaZulu left-back Sibusiso Mabiliso, 22, and ex-Stellenbosch FC central midfielder Phathutshedzo Nange are among other signings who could get a run, at least as substitutes.

The cup matchup against all-powerful four-time successive Premiership champions Sundowns will be seen as an early test of competitiveness for rebuilt Chiefs, who scraped into the league top eight with two wins from their last two matches in 2020-21.


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