Stuart Baxter has paid warm tribute to Kaizer Chiefs captain Bernard Parker for his industrious man of the match performance in this weekend’s hard-fought Soweto Derby victory.

Just over a week away from his 36^th birthday, Parker was Amakhosi’s hardest-working player in leading from the front to help Chiefs grind out an important DStv Premiership Derby victory.

“Bernard Parker probably gave one of the best performances I’ve seen of a PSL player today. Talk of him being too old people should absolutely put that one away for a while anyway. If he plays like that, he would get into any team in the PSL. Bernard ran more than anybody else in the team, he ran over 13 kilometres. David Beckham was praised up to the high heavens when he ran 12.4 kilometres in a World Cup qualifier for England,” Baxter said after the 2-1 Soweto Derby win.

Aside from his work rate and performance, Baxter also praised Parker’s qualities off the pitch and his role as a role model and Club stalwart.

“Bernard is marvelous human being. He’s a great footballer and he’s a good professional. Bernard thrives on stretching himself as a person, as a player, stretching himself to be what Kaizer Chiefs need him to be. All I’m trying to do is make sure he stays in that zone where he can give that kind of performance. It’s to his credit that he can still give it. That means even if I give a little bit of inspiration, the motivation comes from Bernard Parker, nowhere else,” added Baxter, who said even the most ardent Chiefs supporter understandably calling for a renewal of the squad would acknowledge “this guy loves Kaizer Chiefs Football Club”.

The Chiefs coach felt that hamstring injuries to Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro injuries meant Chiefs lost a bit of balance with their attacking intent and that the game “became a battle to preserve what we’ve got.”

“We showed great discipline. I wasn’t happy with the way we managed the game in the last 10 minutes, and the decisions we took on the ball to allow them to deliver more balls into our box. We were living on a knife edge, but we’re delighted to win the Derby. We’re delighted for everybody at the Club, including the supporters. We have to be better than that, we have to manage games better and stick to what we said we’re going to do better,” said Baxter.

The Chiefs coach also hailed the heroics of goalkeeper Brandon Petersen, who made some absolutely crucial saves at the death.

“Petersen was outstanding, he’s been outstanding since he came into the team. The one save right at the death there gave us the win, didn’t it? It’s a one-on-one, they’re clean through, and he makes a save. It’s a game-changing save. That’s what he’s there for, that’s what he trains to do. He deserves a massive pat on the back. He’s really thrown his hat in the ring and says I want to stay around,” says Baxter.

When quizzed about Amakhosi’s chances of catching log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, Baxter was realistic and adamant that Chiefs would keep up the fight to catch Sundowns for as long as they could.

“We have to bring pressure to bear on Sundowns. If we can beat Pirates, which we have and if we are given those two games (in hand) to play, it’s a potential six points. And if we have to play Sundowns one more time. If we can beat them in that game and keep breathing down their neck, maybe they will drop a few points. They’re engaged on more than one front; they know that it’s their league to lose. I’d be a fool to say we are going to (win the league). What we are going to do we’re going to breathe down their neck as long as we can, as hard as we can, so that when we actually play them it means something,” says Baxter.
There were some contentious refereeing calls that went against both teams in the Derby and Baxter called for the introduction of VAR “to help referees”.

“That (VAR) will help them take the pressure off them, so they know that if there’s a big call, it won’t be wrong. That will give them confidence and hopefully that will raise the standard. It could have been a completely different game. Without blasting all referees, I’m trying to give an objective opinion of why VAR should be introduced,” concluded Baxter.