Stuart Baxter became the first Coach to win a Premier Soccer League title in his first season. The well-travelled mentor who has already coached in three continents spoke to kaizerchiefs.com about his first PSL season in South Africa.

Congratulations Champion…

Thank you! It has been a dramatic week in Polokwane and Nelspruit. It is good to see the fans happy and I think we deserved it at the end. This was achieved through teamwork and congratulations to the players and to each and every member of the Amakhosi Family!

Coach, one of the things you said on your arrival was that you want to make FNB Stadium the Club’s ‘fortress’ and you should be pleased that you have not lost any game at the stadium including Peter Mokaba…

It was important that people do not look forward playing us in our home ground. The mentality we instilled was to make visiting teams uncomfortable. We are pleased not to have lost a single game at home this season.

With league title in the bag; do you feel you have met the objectives you set as a team coming to this season?

There were no demands to win the league in the first season. The emphasis was on creating stability and a style that the fans can identify with. We needed to come with a style of play that the fans were going to enjoy watching and with the positive results that came our way I like to think we achieve that.

Out of the 30 games in the league this season which three results stand out for you?

In the beginning of first half we played so many games and really good football. The 3-1 win against Bidvest Wits at Mbombela Stadium was very important in many ways. Then the win away against on form Bloemfontein Celtic; we had not won a game there since 2009 and the win meant so much not only to the players but to the supporters.

The night at Dobsonville Stadium where we came from behind to beat Moroka Swallows was also special. In the three games we showed signs of champions and at times opened the gap between us and the chasing pack. Had we lost against Swallows it would have made the chasing pack believe.

Coach without discrediting the whole squad but there might be three players that you feel did well this season…

I think the players were different and responded quickly on our tactics. The team showed character and different players showed their mantle in different stages of the season.

Players that come to mind is Willard Katsande, Tefu Mashamaite and Bernard Parker. I remember watching Willard Katsande at FNB where we had a friendly match coming in the last 20 minutes where we were leading 2-0 and made a poor tackle nearly injuring the opponent badly. I thought he was rushing and unreliable but as the season went he came well. He is easily the best central midfielder in the country.

We brought Morgan Gould and Eric Mathoho but Morgan got injured; Tefu came in and did very well. He was the difference in many of the games and I think if it was not for him we would be maybe sixth in the league table. He deserves his call up to Bafana Bafana and we are all pleased for him.

Tefu of course played in front of Itumeleng Khune easily the best goalkeeper in the continent and one of the best in the world. He also played alongside Tsepo Masilela and Siboniso Gaxa who chipped in with crucial goals.

Bernard Parker was outstanding not only for his goals but for the way he worked his socks off the whole season. Bernard is Bernard, he likes to get involved and at some games he tried to do too much.

Talking about Willard Katsande; once again he has been left out of Zimbabwean national team for qualifiers in June…

They must have very good players in his position to leave him out. I think he and Kingston Nkhatha have been outstanding for us this season.

Someone told me that they are rebuilding the team and they have been calling players who are U23 and that may be the reason. I am pleased to see both Lincoln (Zvasiya) and Matthew (Rusike) in the team.

Eight players have been called up by Bafana Bafana ahead of the qualifiers…

We should be pleased with this despite the negative effect that comes with their loading. It is the sign also that we have good players in the team. I hear many players in the league today talking about joining Kaizer Chiefs because they see it as a path to good things.

We should continue with our endeavours to support the national team and I am pleased with the relationship we have with Bafana Bafana currently.

What did you make of the standard of the League?

It is a competitive league in terms of the breath. It has not produced outstanding individual stars and personalities like Doc Khumalo, Shaun Bartlett and Benni (McCarthy) and this is what as Coaches in the league we should talk about on a regular basis to come with solutions.

We should address this as coaches as compared to looking for quick fix. This is the same syndrome in the Barclays Premiership as well and we need to get our heads together and address this. Youth should not feel in the shadow.

Talking about youth; how much ground has the Club covered in revamping the development program?

In terms of implementation it is still fresh as Winston Churchill puts it; “This is not the end and not even the beginning of the end is possible the end of the beginning.