Baxter delighted as PSL switches games
Stuart Baxter has thanked the Premier Soccer League for agreeing to move certain fixtures that will allow the Bafana Bafana coach increased preparation time for South Africa’s key 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya in Tunisia on March 22.
South Africa must get at least a point from the game, being played on neutral territory because of the civil war in Libya, to qualify for Egypt 2019, and Baxter had been concerned about the lack of time he would have to get his side ready to play, particularly given the lengthy travelling time to North Africa.
“If I described to you what our planning looked like, it was to wait, monitor the players and their fitness and form, to see what they have got, then we would have had one-and-a-half days before we played the game,” Baxter told a press conference in Johannesburg yesterday.
“That is what we were looking at … we would have had one day’s (full) training and one pre-match training.”
The PSL, however, have agreed to move some fixtures back to accommodate Baxter and his side. There was no official confirmation from the league yesterday of the fixture move, but it does seem that SuperSport United’s game at home to Kaizer Chiefs and Bloemfontein Celtic’s match at home to Bidvest Wits, scheduled for March 16 and 17 respectively, will be two of three games moved back.
“Let’s forget about this game for just one second – when I came into the job, I said I thought if we could tap into more potential … there has to be more cooperation from the clubs, the league, Safa, you guys (the media), the fans, we have to get on the same page.
“When we asked the PSL about Plan A, to move a round of games, it fell down because of unfeasibility. At the same time Caf couldn’t cancel their games (Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are scheduled to be involved in Champions League games on the weekend of March 16-17.
“But they (the PSL) did accept a suggestion to move three games back to the 15th. The clubs gave their blessing and it gives me an extra two full days … for me it is massive, for the boys it is important, and even bigger than that it is an indication we can all get along,” added Baxter.