Baxter: cup not about me
KE YONA FINAL: NO SEND OFF REQUIRED, SAYS OUTGOING UNITED COACH
SuperSport very wary of how badly Bucs want to end poor season on a high.
Stuart Baxter has played down his personal motivation for winning the Nedbank Cup final, with Saturday’s showpiece his last match in charge of SuperSport United.
Matsatsantsa take on Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium, and victory for the Scotsman would be the perfect send off, as he leaves the club to take up his role as full time Bafana Bafana head coach.
“I would be hugely conceited if I were to think of myself. I will just be doing my job properly and please God we win the game. I’ve heard people say we want to give him a good send off. I am knocking that down because I don’t want it to be about me whatsoever,” said Baxter.
“I want to leave something behind for the club. And more than that I want the players to get the success I think they deserve. They have worked really hard in at times unbelievably trying circumstances, with both the injuries we have had to put up with and the travelling they have had to do in Africa. There have also been a lot of rumours about me being there or not being there and they have still kept on picking up results and doing well,” he added. Baxter did lead SuperSport to a
Ke Yona final victory over Pirates only just over a year ago, with
Matsatsantsa beating Eric Tinkler’s Buccaneers 3-2 in a thrilling game at Peter Mokaba Stadium. Bucs are also coming off a tumultuous season, with Kjell Jonevret their third coach of a campaign in which they finished outside the top eight in the Absa Premiership for the first time. But Baxter does not think this will have any real bearing on the game.
“I would like to say yes (it will), but I don’t think it can,” he said.
“Especially with a cup final, it lives its own life. The fact that Pirates have not had a great season, you still know they are capable of beating anyone in the league on their day. The history of the club weighs heavily with their supporters and with that obligation, you feel they can catch fire on their day and hurt you.
“We have to focus on our performance, on being sharp and doing the things we do well, and on minimising what Pirates do well.”