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Tag: Stuart Baxter

  • BREAKING: Real Reason why Stuart Baxter quit Bafana Bafana job

    Less than 48 hours after England-born Stuart Baxter walked out of Bafana Bafana job real facts have emerged as to why the former Finland handler dumped the $33,500 (about N12.1million or 490,000 rands job.

    Baxter who was having a second romance with the national team after the first stanza from 2004 to 2006 frowned at overwhelming criticism coming from both the informed and uninformed alike.

    The Rainbow Nation is estimated to have a population of about 58.7 million with the former Kaizer Chief and Super Sports United coach saying there were “54 million national coaches in South Africa” adding that the situation does not give room for him to perform

    “I feel that I cannot continue to work with the required professionalism and passion as I have done,” he said

    As if that was not enough headache, a good percentage of the South African media were not satisfied with his performance which explains they welcomed his decision in a jiffy.

    Baxter first stint was considered a major flop losing four out of five matches leading to the 2018 World cup.

    Though Bafana Bafana got a standing ovation at the Nations cup when the edged out hosts Egypt in the round of 16, the party was however short lived after they were shown the door by eventual third place winners Nigeria in the quarterfinals

    Baxter joins the list of coaches that have been sent packing since the curtain fell on the continental fiesta close to two weeks ago. Clarence Seedorf was the first casualty after he failed to help Indomitable Lions of Cameroon defend their title following a round of 16, defeat by Nigeria.

    Others are Javier Aguirre who handled Egypt, Ricardo Mannetti, Paul Put and Emmanuel Amunike who though qualified Taifa Stars to the Nations cup for the first time in 39 years failed to win a match, Losing to Senegal, Kenya and eventual tournament champions Algeria and conceding 8 goals and scoring two.

     

    Read Also: Baxter resigns as coach of South Africa

  • AFCON 2019: Baxter impressed with Percy Tau’s attitude

    South Africa’s national team coach Stuart Baxter has explained that he was impressed by Percy Tau’s selfless attitude in their recent goalless draw with Ghana.

    Bafana Bafana and the Black Stars played a 0-0 stalemate in their warm-up meeting in Dubai ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, which gets underway this coming weekend.

    Tau was forced to play a more defensive role against Ghana, but Baxter praised the forward for his hard work and ability to adapt.

    “I’m always impressed with Percy because his attitude is spot on,” explained Baxter, as quoted by Kick-Off.

    Read Also: Baxter: Injuries not a concern for SA

    “We asked him to play a slightly different role [against Ghana] and our midfield players and defenders did not defend the way we wanted them to, which meant Percy got dragged back.

    “So in the second half we defended better further up the field and therefore people like Themba Zwane and [Lebohang] Maboe were dangerous further up the field. That’s what we wanted from him.”

    South Africa arrived in Egypt on Tuesday and are set to play their final warm-up match against Angola later today.

    Bafana Bafana will open their Group D campaign at the 2019 AFCON with a clash against Ivory Coast in Cairo on Monday 24 June.

  • Russia 2018: Nigeria deserves to be in the World Cup – Green

    Russia 2018: Nigeria deserves to be in the World Cup – Green

    Chris Green, member of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), said on Monday that the Super Eagles worked hard and deserved to be at the Russia 2018 World Cup.

    Nigeria topped group b with 14 points to qualify for the World Cup. Other countries in the group, tagged the group of death are, Algeria, Cameroon, and Zambia.

    Green, the chairman, player’s status of the Federation, said this in Lagos that comments made by Stuart Baxter, Coach of the South African national team about Nigeria were unfair.

    Baxter, in a post-match reaction after losing 2-0 to Senegal, said that Nigeria and Senegal are not better than South Africa.

    “ Maybe, I am being blue-eyed, but I don`t think Senegal or even Nigeria were much better than us,” Baxter said.

    Green said that he sympathized with the South African coach for his inability to qualify the team for the World Cup.

    “ First of all, I sympathize with Stuart Baxter for his inability to qualify South Africa to play in the World Cup. He tried very much for his team, but, it did not work out.

    “ But as sportsmen, he cannot say that a team that qualified ahead of you, that you are better than that team,” he said.

    According to Green, there is no reason to say that South Africa is better than Nigeria when Nigeria qualified ahead of them.

    “ The World Cup is bigger than AFCON, CHAN, and so, it is the biggest stage and so, you cannot rightly say that you are better than Nigeria, that is not right, and that is not sportsmanly.

    “Much as one will want to respect the South African team, as one of the teams that are emerging in African football, it will not be right for anybody to say that his team is better than the other team,” he said.

    Green stressed the need for coaches to show respect to one another adding that he did not expect a coach like Baxter to make such comments.

    “ We should remember that Nigeria is the first in Africa to qualify for the World Cup,” he said.

    Read Also:  Nigeria 1-1 Algeria: Super Eagles Finish 2018 W/Cup Qualifiers Unbeaten

  • AFCON Qualifier: ‘Defeating Super Eagles is very interesting’

    AFCON Qualifier: ‘Defeating Super Eagles is very interesting’

    South African national team coach, Stuart Baxter, says winning Nigeria in an African Nations Cup qualifier is very interesting.

    Baxter made the assertion at Uyo on Saturday after his team beat the Super Eagles 2-0 at the Godswill Akpabio stadium.

    The South African coach said “We opened up the game in the first half but unfortunately we did not score. Beating Nigeria is very interesting.

    “Nigeria is a very good side but my boys prevented them from scoring. We are trying to develop our boys and expose them,’’ he said.

    South African striker, Tokelo Rantie lived up to his billing as he scored in the 56th minute while Percy Tau who replaced Rantie, scored the second goal for his side in the 83rd minute.

    The visitors sized up the Eagles in the first half, took advantage of their slower opponents in the second half of the match stringed crisp passes that sunk the Eagles in their backyard.

    Moses Simon, Etebo Oghenekaro and Ndidi Wilfred were easily the best Eagles on the pitch on a day the team failed to fly.

    Incidentally, Rantie was the player whose goals stopped the Nigeria senior male football team in the 2014 nation’s cup qualifier.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports Saturday’s defeat by South Africa was the first loss of Gernot Rohr as Super Eagles Head coach.

    Rohr said, after the match, that his boys played well in the first half but were overpowered by the experience of the South Africans in the second half.

    According to him, We had difficulties in finishing the match because we made so many efforts in the first half while some of our players were tired in the second half.

    “We tried to open the wings and bring power to the team but unfortunately it did not yield fruits.

    “I have trust in these boys because they played well in the first half but they could not score. We win and lose together.

    “I think the next game with Cameroon will be very interesting. It will be better, much, much better,” he said.

  • NIGERIA VS SOUTH AFRICA: Bafana spies Iheanacho, Moses, Iwobi, others

    NIGERIA VS SOUTH AFRICA: Bafana spies Iheanacho, Moses, Iwobi, others

    South Africa coach, Stuart Baxter is not relaxing at all as the new Bafana Bafana tactician is making frantic effort to study Nigeria’s Super Eagles players very well ahead of the 2019 AFCON Qualifiers next month.
    Baxter said he’d go through all the video footage and facts gathered on Nigeria so far ahead of Bafana’s crucial trip to Uyo on June 10 for the opening fixture of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Group E, which also includes Libya and Seychelles.
    “I have done some work on the squad, their players and I am reading Nigerian newspapers every day to try and find out what they are thinking,” the coach told IOL website yesterday.
    He added: “It is obviously not perfect for our preparation, but I will get the DVD and all of that, break that down, get their last three games and break those down. “We played them a 2-2 game (in November 2014) and I saw that, and I will get that and break that down. I think the important thing is to get the squad right.”
    In picking “warriors” Baxter quickly dispelled the notion that he would select the tried and tested players in order to beat the Super Eagles in his first official match as national team coach.
    “We want to keep an element of development there all the time, and I don’t want to regress. We are going to have to look at players that have come in and ask if we should throw them in the deep end in Nigeria or should he be on the bench, or just in the squad and have a learning curve.
    “I think those that are going to have to play are the ones that have been there and done it, but I don’t’ mean we suddenly start bringing back Morgan Gould (34), although he’s been fantastic, but we need players with experience, like Dean Furman for example. Itumeleng Khune will also be important in these sort of games.” Baxter said, while also confirming that he’d already asked the SA Football Association (SAFA) to send out letters, asking clubs – locally and abroad – if players could report early for Bafana camp given that most leagues wrap up this coming weekend.
  • We will give Super Eagles a tough time – New S/Africa coach

    We will give Super Eagles a tough time – New S/Africa coach

    The new coach of South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, Stuart Baxter, says his team will give Nigeria’s Super Eagles a tough time when the two teams clash on June 10.

    “I hope we will be very competitive with Nigeria. We will give them a game,” Baxter said after his unveiling in Johannesburg on Monday.

    He was appointed earlier this month as a replacement for Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba who was sacked in December last year.

    The Englishman will start his second spell at Bafana Bafana with a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Eagles in Uyo in June.

    Baxter, who signed a five-year contract, said he would name his technical team and squad for the Nigeria game on May 25.

    “We need to be competitive and players will do it the South African way. That should reflect the play in the country,” he said .

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Baxter, had previously coached the 1996 African champions from May 2004 to November 2005.

    He will however continue to coach Premier Soccer League side SuperSport United until the end of the season.

    Speaking on his team, the 63-year-old said there was no shortage of talent in South Africa.

    “I believe the nation has enough players to succeed and I also believe in my abilities. I’m very optimistic,” he said.

    “I’m really looking forward to this latest challenge. If I wasn’t ready, I would not have accepted the challenge.

    “I’m very optimistic if we can pull together, but don’t be too negative because it will affect everyone. I’m asking for buy-in from every South African.

    “I will be going abroad to watch players who ply their trade there. I will watch every South African. They will get a fair chance.

    “I want Bafana Bafana to unite South Africa in the long term. If we do that we will become a powerhouse of football,” said Baxter.