Baxter unhappy with Bafana friendly matches
South African national team coach Stuart Baxter was not consulted about the friendly game that Bafana Bafana will play.
Stuart Baxter, Bafana Bafana coach. Picture: Lee Warren/Gallo Images
Baxter says he had plans for Bafana to go to the King’s Cup in Thailand to play against Slovakia and the United Arab Emirates, but Safa told him to play Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“I’ve been massively upset this morning because we’ve only just finalised our fixture for this window‚” Baxter said to reporters.
“We were going to go to Thailand. And after a long and winding road I’ve only just found out where we’re going.
“I’m not trying to rubbish SAFA‚ I’m not trying to rubbish my own association.
“I submitted a four-page report about what I believed could be an important springboard‚ and then there was another report about four years in bigger brushstrokes.
“What I said about the immediate was that the King’s Cup in Thailand represented an opportunity to give our players experience against Slovakia – Europe; UAE – the Gulf; Thailand – Asia.
“Three different styles‚ humid weather conditions‚ a full house, it would have been a great opportunity.
“For whatever reason that didn’t work and that is not meant as criticism.”
