Stuart Baxter has said that winning against potential title rivals Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend is not a “must have, but a nice to have”.
Stuart Baxter has said that winning against potential title rivals Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend is not a “must have, but a nice to have”.
The Kaizer Chiefs coach was responding to a question on whether the DStv Premiership clash between his side and reigning champions Downs could show off which team has credentials to go all the way in the race for the trophy.
In answering the same question, his Sundowns counterpart Rulani Mokwena had told the media during the press conference that the Brazilians beating Chiefs in their opener last season set the tone for what ended up being a fourth successive title.
“I think this is very early, everybody is trying very hard to put down these markers for everybody else,” Baxter said in his reply.
“I think you’d take it in a heartbeat, any positivity that can help you going forward, and certainly a victory for one of the two teams in this game is a bit of a marker for everybody else and a positive sign that your development is going in the right direction.”
The Englishman emphasised that not getting maximum points, however, would not rule Chiefs or Downs of the race by any stretch of the imagination.
“All those being said, any team that loses this game, I am guessing, will still be one of those that are there about when we come to the end of the season. It’s an important one for confidence, but it’s not a must-have – it’s a nice to have, I think,” he explained.
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