Kaizer Chiefs 1 – 1 Orlando Pirates

The 151st Soweto Derby ended in a 1-all stalemate once again. The coaches of the two teams described it as good football for the neutrals and frustrating for the respective technical areas. The Derby last Saturday was billed to produce the results but the end to end game failed to do so.

In his preview for the match, Coach Stuart Baxter hoped to stay within striking distance of the leading pack in the Absa Premiership log. Following the draw on Saturday, Chiefs occupy the 5th spot on the log with 12 points after 7 games while the log leaders SuperSport United are sitting on 15 points with 8 games played.

Baxter; “Our aim was to create the game from the beginning. We stood back and allowed them to play between our lines and their movement was good. We made it difficult for ourselves. As the game progressed we started to play better. I think we got back into the game and dominated parts of the game. Our right side was switched off for most of the game today but we played well on the left with Tsepo Masilela (Man of the Match) timing his runs perfectly.

When Pirates scored and somewhat threatened us on numerous occasions, I was confident we were going to pick up in the second half. In the second half we saw transitions going both ways. Inconsistency in decision making and lack of discipline where we wanted it most resulted in the huffing and puffing to a stalemate.”

Baxter did not pull any punched following the booing of Chiefs striker Kingston Nkhatha; “It is a sad state of affairs when after only 20 minutes your own supporters have a go at one of their players. It cannot be a culture; this behaviour is totally amateurish. Booing your own player affects the whole team negatively. The supporters are wrong to do this to their team. I was planning to take Kingston out during halftime, not because of the supporters but because he was smashed all over the pitch by the opposition and I was afraid he was going to run himself down.

The supporters must have an opinion but they need to know when the impact on all the players. When they boo one player, the other players start to feel sorry for their teammate and start to lose concentration.”

On his squad, Baxter said; “Every player in my squad is important and is in my plans. The players that have their contracts running out, I am sure the negotiations with the Club will happen at the right time. We discuss the players and monitor them every day. We need to bring in 2 or 3 players. We also need to strike a balance. You don’t want to sit with a situation of 23 national team players and a lot of the players knocking on your door after training asking Coach, why am I not playing? And of course we need to strike a balance on age and experience.”

On the stalemate in the Derby again; “It is a matter of missing a lot of chances for us. I am not sure if it is a South African trait. We don’t have the greatest goal scorers, and maybe we are not working hard enough on that aspect of the game. The Derby is a showpiece and I think the players are afraid to take a risk in the game of this magnitude.”

Baxter paid tribute to the Chiefs supporter Mr Langa Ngcece who died when the Minibus that he and his fellow Chiefs faithful got involved in an accident in Ladysmith on their way to the Derby in Johannesburg; “It will be amiss of me if I don’t mention that on behalf of the squad, we wish to send our prayers to the family and friends of the supporter who lost his life on his way to the game. Our deepest condolences go to the family.