Back to the glory days? - Fans weigh in on Stuart Baxter’s Kaizer Chiefs return

The return of Stuart Baxter to Kaizer Chiefs as the club's head coach has garnered mixed reactions from fans.

On Wednesday, Amakhosi announced that Baxter had signed a two-year contract with the club that could be extended by two more years. 

His appointment comes after Gavin Hunt was sacked by Chiefs with two matches to go in the now-completed DStv Premiership, with the club in 11th place. The club went on to win those two matches, climbing to eighth place on the table.

Baxter returns to Naturena after having previously held the same position between 2013 and 2015. He won two league and cup doubles during his tenure at Chiefs. 

He will be assisted by Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard, who have been in charge since Hunt's axing. The duo will also continue coaching the reserve side.

“After extensive reviews and consultations, we decided to appoint Stuart because we believe he is one coach who understands our philosophy and culture.

We know his work ethic and believe he will work with the team we have at the moment while trying to rebuild and ensure we have a formidable side for the new season,” said chairman Kaizer Motaung.

Motaung said the appointment would give Baxter ample time to familiarise himself with the club's current set-up and give him time to get to know some of players he’s not familiar with.

“It has been six years since Stuart left Chiefs after winning the league trophy in 2015, but he departed on good terms and remains a well-liked figure by many supporters, colleagues and some of the players he coached at the time. We believe he will be able to work within our current set-up and will use the time to understand some of the players he’s not familiar with,” he said. 

On social media, some fans welcomed the return of the Baxter, while others felt that his and Chiefs' philosophy were too different.

Here is a snapshot of some of the reactions.