Baxter puts faith in Bafana youngsters
Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter says he is aware that fielding inexperienced youngsters could jeopardise his job.
Stuart Baxter coach of South Africa during 2018 World Cup qualifier football match between South Africa and Burkina Faso on the 7 October 2017 at Soccer City, Johannesburg © Sydney Mahlangu /BackpagePix
Baxter called up a youthful squad for the upcoming four nations tournament in Zambia, with the aim of using the competition to prepare his team for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The former Kaizer Chiefs wants to use the bulk of the players called up for the qualifiers.
Baxter believes bringing young players into the squad to help them develop will benefit the national team in the future.
“The reason why I came back to the national team because I thought things would be different in terms of our planning and organisation as an association. Two was to deliver a major tournament to the people of South Africa,” Baxter told SABC Sport.
Baxter is confident that he can quality for the Africa Cup of Nations next year and adds that if he reiterated the previous stance that if he fails, he would quit the national team.
“That will be my immediate reaction [to leave Bafana if SA fails to qualify for 2019 Afcon], but if some people can persuade me to stay then that’s something different, but my reaction would be if I can’t quality for that then I should leave.”
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