Baxter’s big plans for Bafana
Stuart Baxter has outlined his plans for Bafana Bafana as he begins his second tenure as coach of the national team.
The 63-year-old coach signed a 5 year contract with SAFA and laid out his plans for the national side on Monday.
Taking his second bite at the Bafana job, Baxter is far more at home within the South African football fraternity. His first stint with Bafana ended in a failed attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup – although the veteran coach admits the South African culture was something he wasn’t quite ready for.
“A feeling of déjà vu this is,” Baxter quipped in his second-first address as the national coach.
“When I first came to South Africa, it was to the national team and I knew very little about life in South Africa. I tried to prepare myself before I arrived by reading extensively and talking to people at the embassy.
“Nothing prepared me for the life I was going to have. I remember a rather large element of negativity and I hope that I can persuade people to look at the long term and short term plan. I wasn’t very successful and I don’t think at that time that we thought it was that important, as a country and as the football fraternity.”
Baxter also received the same criticism when he took over Kaizer Chiefs in 2012 and it was only the team’s positive results under the Englishman that changed the public perception of the man as a football manager.
Having endured such scrutiny and negativity, Baxter expressed the desire for the country to dance to a different tune in his second go as coach.
“One of my ambitions as national coach is to unite the whole footballing family behind the development of the game in this country. Yes, I have short term ambitions, I want to win games and qualify for big tournaments, but on a long term basis I’d love to see the country united.”
"If we are united, the PSL, the clubs, the national team, the supporters and the media, then I think this could be the football powerhouse in Africa,” Baxter said.
Bafana Bafana are back in action as early as next month with an Afcon clash against Nigeria. Baxter will wrap up his tenure as Supersport United coach at the end of the month – and has to juggle that between preparations for their clash against the Super Eagles.
“I’m champing at the bit for the big challenge against Nigeria away with little preparation but I’ve embraced that. I’m gaining intelligence on Nigeria as we speak and by the time we pick the squad to go to Nigeria, I hope we will be very competitive.
“I’m undefeated against Nigeria by the way, so I’m hopeful that we can go there and surprise them. I’ve been reading Nigerian newspapers for the last two weeks. They’ve been in France and I know some of their players don’t want to come to this game so they’re having a battle with some of them.
“When we go there, I know that we will be prepared and we will give them a game.”
Bafana take on the Super Eagles on June 10.