Ex-Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter back on the market. Image: Helsingborgs.
‘Kaizer Chiefs would still be dominating if we kept Baxter’ Katsande
Katsande believes Kaizer Chiefs should have kept Baxter back in 2015. ‘Salt & Pepper’ claims the English coach knew how to beat Pirates.
Ex-Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter back on the market. Image: Helsingborgs.
Former Kaizer Chiefs captain Willard Katsande believes Amakhosi dropped the ball by letting Stuart Baxter go in 2015.
Under the British coach, the Soweto giants won two league titles, the Nedbank Cup and MTN8 trophies.
In 2015, Baxter dropped a bombshell when quit Amakhosi with a year left in his contract.
As The South African previously reported, Baxter’s departure was Kaizer Chiefs’ demise.
During an interview with Izinja zeGame with Josta Dladla podcast, Katsande said Baxter was a great coach.
‘Salt & Pepper’ played three years under the English tactician, becoming one of his trusted players in the middle of the park.
”I want to be like him [Stuart Baxter] one day because he was clear and simple. He managed to explain everybody’s role in the team, he was not just good, he was a great coach,” Katsande added as per Goal.
”For me, he knew what he was doing, when he took over the team from VV [Vladimir Vermezović], we dominated the league, we never went out in the top two in his first season, second season, we lost the league to Sundowns, we were always on top there under him.
Kaizer Chiefs ex-midfielder praises Stuart Baxter
”Baxter was a great motivator, you remember his sessions were simple, he strategized his sessions. That’s why I woke up every morning looking forward to the training because there was something new I was going to learn from him,”
In 2014, Amakhosi defeated rivals Orlando Pirates 1-0 in the MTN8 in the final which was the last final the club won.
Katsande revealed Baxter would tactically plan ahead of derby games to give Kaizer Chiefs an upper hand.
”His training sessions were simple, short, and sweet, there was a purpose for each training session, especially when we were going to play Pirates, we knew what to do. Whatever we did at training, it was going to happen during the game, it was very productive.
”When he left, we were in the driving seat, that is where we started struggling and Sundowns started to dominate. Maybe if Kaizer Chiefs didn’t let go of Baxter and you [Josta Dladla] together with the other experienced players, perhaps we were still going to dominate the league,” Katsande said.
After Baxter’s departure, Amakhosi appointed highly-rated Steve Komphela as his replacement but the Qwa-Qwa-born coach struggled to get going.
After seven years of struggles, Chiefs brought back Baxter but he only lasted one season.
