Baxter calls Kaitano his friend

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has described Kaitano Tembo as a friend and it was a shame he was pushed out of his post.

The duo once worked together at SuperSport United. The Zimbabwean coach was sacked by the Pretoria side this week after a poor run of form.

It brought to an end his 23-year stay at SuperSport United, as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

“I tried my best,” was what Kaitano was prepared to say to H-Metro when contacted to react to the decision by the club’s leaders to sack him.

SuperSport’s first post-Kaitano match is against the Amakhosi.

And, Chiefs coach Baxter admitted to being wary of SuperSport United following their sacking of Tembo. The two teams meet at the FNB Stadium tomorrow.

Baxter admitted that the change in management at SuperSport United created uncertainty but that it would not affect his own preparations.

“People usually say that you don’t want to play against a team that has just changed their coach because no matter what, there will be an effect,” he said during his pre-match press conference.

“Because Kaitano is both a friend and a colleague I think it’s a shame that he has had to leave his post.

“Sometimes, a coach collects himself and gets over a bit of disappointment and develops further, and sometimes the club benefits or doesn’t benefit, so the pros and cons of that one, I don’t know.

“[Regardless of] whether we will find a fired-up SuperSport United or find a SuperSport in disarray, I think we should just concentrate on our own game, to be honest.

“I think there is an argument both ways but we have to concentrate on our own house.”