Pieterse keeps his faith in Baxter
THE gold medal from the 2016 Cosafa Cup isn’t particularly a source of pride for Reyaad Pieterse as it is a reminder of an opportunity missed.
The Supersport United goalkeeper was given an audition in Namibia with a simple task: do well in the Cosafa Cup and you will travel with the national Under-23 team to the Olympics in Brazil.
Pieterse fluffed the audition. He failed to stamp his authority in a team that lacked a leader at the back, forcing coach Owen da Gama’s hand in selecting Itumeleng Khune instead as one of the over-age players.
“As a team we won the tournament but on a personal level, I felt I wasn’t in the best shape and I wasn’t making the right decisions,” Pieterse said. “It was very disappointing because at each tournament I go to, I want to give a good account of myself. Missing the Olympics ... I let myself down but I learned from that and picked myself up.”
That disappointment was a good thing for Matsatsantsa a Pitori because he arrived at the club fired up to prove his worth, starting on the bench. Ronwen Williams was the club’s No1 goalkeeper, having played every minute in the Absa Premiership last season. But an injury to him earlier this season paved the way for Pieterse. He didn’t look back, making the No1 jersey his.
Supersport are unbeaten in the league with Pieterse in goal, and on Tuesday the club matched Kaizer Chiefs’ record 19-match unbeaten run.
And the common factor in those unbeaten runs is one Stuart Baxter. “It’s a marvel to work with coach Baxter again,” Pieterse said. “He is one of the best coaches I have worked with. He knows the game well and he knows how to get the best out of his players.”
Pieterse isn’t likely to feature in the early stages of the CAF Confederation Cup that sees Matsatsantsa take on Al-ahly Shendi in Sudan today (6.30pm SA time kick-off) in the first leg of their first round clash. Baxter fielded a somewhat B side in the preliminary round but still had enough firepower to go past Madagascar’s ASSM Elgeco Plus.
Pieterse is likely to feature in the group stage should the Tshwane side get there. They have to overcome Al-ahly Shendi and then a side that will be eliminated from the Champions League in the play-offs. Should that happen, Pieterse will be driven to redeem himself on the international stage having already made his name on the domestic front.