Baxter hopes for love and peace when Chiefs fans return to stadium

Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter says he cannot predict the reception from Amakhosi fans when they return to the stadium next week for the first time in more than two years, but he hopes it will be one of unfettered support, love and peace.

Chiefs, the most popular and supported club countrywide, are headed for a seventh season without a trophy. The last time they won silverware the EFF was a two-year-old infant and Barack Obama was US president.

The already slim prospect of Amakhosi catching DStv Premiership leaders Mamelodi Sundowns grew more distant after they dropped more points in a 0-0 draw against lowly TS Galaxy at FNB Stadium on Tuesday night to remain 12 points behind.

Crowds of 50% of capacity have been allowed back in sports stadiums after the easing of Covid-19 regulations, and Chiefs will get to salute their fans for the first time in more than two years at FNB Stadium on April 16 when they host SuperSport United.

With all that has been happening at Naturena, it is anyone’s guess how the team will be received by fans over and above the excitement of seeing their stars in the flesh after so long.

The first round exit in the Nedbank Cup at the hands of battling Galaxy in February, Baxter’s insistence on an defensive setups and reliance on older players over promising youngsters since his return in June have not yielded results and rubbed Chiefs fans the wrong way.

“It’s impossible for me to second guess how happy the fans are to get back into the stadium,” the Briton said.

“I believe we’ve got good fans. I believe we’ve got loyal fans and I can imagine they’re desperate to get in and try to be that extra player, that extra support to drive the players and get them over the line.

“That’s what I believe. [But] I’m not in their position.”

Chiefs dished out an uninspiring draw against Galaxy.

Baxter was quick to remind that the Covid-19 outbreak at the team’s Naturena training base in December that led to Chiefs not honouring two Premiership fixtures, and uncertainty when those matches will be played, has contributed to the team blowing hot and cold.

“We’ve come through a massive Covid-19 pandemic within the club, which not only affected team selections but affected the games,” he said.

“That’s not been cleared up and that’s been a maybe situation for a long time.”

The coach gave his reasons why Chiefs have struggled to get within touching distance of Sundowns.

“It’s been a very difficult situation to manage and we’ve done as best as we could. In the end it comes down to the quality of play during the game, which is affected by a lot of things.

“Maybe one of them is the uncertainty of not knowing whether we would play those game. As we speak we still don’t know.

“We do the best we can with the schedule we’ve got and if we get to play those games we will go for the six points.

“But those two games have not been played and it’s not guaranteed the six points. We haven’t given up.”

The two games in doubt, which Chiefs failed to honour in December, are the subject of a court case brought by the Premier Soccer League after Amakhosi won an arbitration for them to be played.