Kaizer Chiefs collected their first three points of the 2021-22 campaign with a 2-1 win on Wednesday evening against Baroka at the FNB Stadium, which ensured that coach Stuart Baxter has never lost as Chiefs coach in his first home league game of a season.

Baxter has now won three and drawn one of the opening four games of a season he has been at the Chiefs helm.

After the game he broke down his team’s performance and looked ahead to the next few weeks with Chiefs being inactive, as a result of the upcoming MTN 8 Semifinals and the international break.

Baroka match analysis

It was a long time since the FNB Stadium saw that quality of football, I thought some of the players were outstanding in the way they solved the game plan. Our intentions were amazing and how we did not go in at 4-0 or 5-0 at halftime is a mystery. You know when you go in at 2-0 they going to horsewhip their players in the dressing room to come out and fight. Combined with our players taking a few liberties, Baroka got themselves back into the game, then everybody is panicking because of all the chances. Then you are thinking we could lose this or at least the three points. Then we went to three centre backs, got the wingbacks to stop the crosses and we were better in the last 10 minutes. Looking at the whole game I told the players I was not happy with the second half, they heard me in no uncertain terms. It’s a shame I have to say that because the first half was glittering.

Sundowns next

It was good to get the three points and we are looking forward to a good game with Sundowns, who are a good football team. I think we learnt something from the first game (against Sundowns in the MTN8), and we will try and put together a game plan which will help us get the points. Again, my worry is some of the players might not be involved in the preparations, but I am guessing some of the other teams have the same problems. We have to work with it.

Chiefs form so far

It’s still early days. I think we need another month before we can start drawing big conclusions and saying that maybe this player is good enough or not good enough and needs to step it up. I think its early days at the moment. I am really delighted at the work that the boys are putting in, given the fact that we have still only really lost one game. That was against Sundowns on penalties, so its not a bad start.

International Break

We have six, possibly seven players away with national teams, they won’t have a break. The players who have virtually been playing nonstop we will allow them some free time, before coming back and having a good ten or eleven days to prepare for the Sundowns game. The lads who are injured will have no time off, they will be working hard to get fully fit, and we will welcome back our lads from the national teams and integrate them as a unit.

Concerns

I am a little bit worried about the fact that the lads who will be travelling away with the national teams will be travelling long distances and returning tired. We will have to give them a couple of days to recover. That could eat a lot into our preparations. We still have to make decisions 100%, but the big picture is that is what will happen.

On Chiefs gelling together

With regards, to Lebogang Manyama, Leonardo Castro, Dumsani Zuma and Siyabonga Ngezana, they are quite a way from full fitness. When they get back to full fitness, there will be quite a lot of competition for places. When the squad is fully assembled the boys that are new have got a good idea how to behave at Kaizer Chiefs and what sort of football we play. When the injured players get back to full fitness, when the lads who have been going on for a while get a rest and when we can gel all that together and have a clear way of playing, then at that point we can see. That’s a bit down the road.