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| Shooting from the lip: Chiefs boss Stuart Baxter |
AS I write this, Stuart Baxter is on the Kaizer Chiefs bus
struggling to come to terms with an MTN8 semi-final defeat at the hands of his
old rivals Orlando Pirates.
And he is running and re-running video replays of the
incident which turned the second leg around: the 74th minute penalty which
ensured a home draw for the Buccaneers, who advance to Saturday’s final 2-1 on
aggregate after their 1-0 first leg win.
Double-winning Baxter, the first foreign coach ever to win
the PSL in his first year as a club coach in South Africa, is not a fool. He
doesn’t put his foot in it, like Clinton Laursen famously did live on camera
earlier this season after Bloemfontein Celtic red card against Mamelodi
Sundowns.
He’s calm. He’s contained. But he’s fuming after seeing
Bernard Parker’s first half rebound cancelled out by Lennox Bacela’s spot kick.
I cannot quote everything he said. I can tell you he did
send two post-match SMSes which made my blackberry go bright red.
What I can say is this. Stuart Baxter feels desperately
aggrieved. He has no personal issue with referee Daniel Bennett but his opinion
deserves to be aired.
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| The fateful moment: Gould pulls Bacela's shirt Picture from @matipwili on Twitter |
A discussion followed. On the bus, other opinions were being
thrown about it the background. Obviously the Chiefs technical staff and their
players sounded distinctly unhappy, as you'd expect. Much was said.
Here’s what I can quote from Baxter: “I had to be cautious
after the game. I’ve blamed referees before and been wrong. I didn’t want to do
that again.
“But now I’ve had a look at the incident, I’m confused. The
level of Morgan’s contact on Bacela was much as it was on ANY corner at either
end during the game. If he’s going to give a penalty for that, there would be
penalties all day.
“In the modern day, there is always contact in the box on
corners. One of our lads too an elbow in the face when their lad (Rooi
Mahamutsa) was booked earlier in the game. That’s football these days, that’s
what happens.
“I cannot understand this decision. I thought we’d weathered
the storm when they hit the bar (Vieira Masalesa header after Siya Sangweni
nod-back) but the penalty came just as we were starting to get back in the
game.
“We ruled the first half. I don’t understand why we lost
momentum second half. Their substitute Sifiso Myeni is a good player, he helped
change the game. But we were playing long balls. We stopped playing for 20
minutes.
“In the end, we have to accept this result. It’s tough. But
there you are. Best I don’t give you the full weight of my opinions right now!”
Baxter, always a great talker with encouraging ideas about
development and the future, managed to contain his fury. Roger de Sa on the
opposing bench could hardly contain his joy after a dramatic and entertaining
Soweto derby at a sold-out Orlando Stadium.
Roger, whose Sea Robbers reached the last four of the
African Champions League on Sunday, said: “We’ve done to great clubs like Al
Ahly and Kaizer Chiefs in 24 hours (actually it’s 48 Roger!) and that can’t be
bad. My boys never stopped running, we worked and worked.
“They were on top in the first half, but Myeni changed
things, we came back in to it. It’s been tough. Two massive game like that in
such a short space of time. Oupa Manyisa? How much running did he do today?
Young Masilesa has stood up so well too.
“But we have a day off now. I hope my dog won't bite me, I haven' been home so long he might not remember who I am! Then the final in Durban on
Saturday. We’ll be ready.”
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I can understand being frustrated by inconsistent application of the law but I cant understand feeling cheated by proper application of the law. Jersey grabbing and tugging is an infringement and us punishable.
ReplyDeleteI am with you Sir. They can't complain. Stuart didn't complain when he was given an offside Goal to win the Black Label
ReplyDeleteQuestion is, Duma: if you give that one, what about similar incidents which go unpunished. And why no yellow card for Gould? But Vusi, you're right, Chiefs have benefited before
ReplyDeleteWell according to my own personal analysis of that game, Baxter lost it right at the start of the 2nd half. Tlou Segolela didn't play bad in that game, he just didn't play at all because Chiefs didn't allow it (they had all the possession, did most of the attacking). Myeni's "game changing performance" is illusion, Chiefs simply switched off and started defending deep in that 2nd half, allowing Pirates to get out of their blocks and play. I'm assuming Baxter gave that order in hope of a counter attacking opportunity. Playing passive/waiting football goes hand in hand with inviting trouble (and in Chiefs' case, trouble surely came). They conceded a corner which led to that penalty. Bad refereeing decesion or not, the plot was lost at the start of the 2nd half. I also think Baxter was hoping for a penalty sh0otout, checkout Khune's time waisting tactics around the 50th/51st minute.
ReplyDeletefact of the matter is that penalty in terms of the law was genuine but what you can question is consistency in application with other games were those are missed.But if the law is applied as it is why question it Baxter.Baxter must be mature and not embarrase himself like this.He is being a cry baby
ReplyDelete