Bernard Parker’s two goals for Kaizer Chiefs in the victory over SuperSport United at the weekend have earned him even more respect from coach Stuart
Bernard Parker’s two goals for Kaizer Chiefs in the victory over SuperSport United at the weekend have earned him even more respect from coach Stuart Baxter.
The one-time Bafana Bafana front man rolled back the years on Sunday as he twice beat goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to hand the Glamour Boys a 2-1 win, which moved them up to fifth place on the DStv Premiership table.
Some Chiefs fans who celebrated weren’t always Parker praise singers, particularly over the course of the previous season when they struggled under then coach Gavin Hunt as the player entered the final year of his contract.
“There are two issues there, without wanting to sound like I am having a swipe at anybody. I just think that we are living and playing football in a time where it’s quick fixes and instant success,” Baxter told journalists.
“When you’ve worked as hard as Bernard has, it’s very easy for people to say you are over the top or not up to it. They’ve been saying that for quite a long time – they said that about ‘Shabba’ (Siphiwe Tshabalala), seven years before he actually retired. They said it about ‘Yeye’ (Reneilwe Letsholonyane) and (many) of other players, and these are the two (who) came back and proved people wrong.”
The Englishman knows Parker better than most, having worked with him in his first spell at Chiefs between 2012 and 2015, winning the league with the veteran at his peak, then following his return from FC Twente in Holland.
Baxter has said Parker will be captain whenever goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune is not selected in the starting line-up.
“That’s the one thing, and we have to live with that as players and coaches because that is society and the world we live in at the moment. I’ve just said to the players that they are privileged to have a senior professional like Bernard Parker, who puts in the shift that he put in tonight and gets the two goals that win us the three points,” the coach said, seemingly having a go at the social media trolls who’ve made it a habit to complain about Parker.
“He is an absolute glowing example of the sort of players we want to produce in SA – hardworking, humble, good team player, responsible in society and for that reason alone Bernard Parker is worth a place at Kaizer Chiefs. But he is more than that. He is still a very competitive player. Will he play every game when everybody is fit? I don’t know. But certainly, Bernard is one of those players who are a pleasure to have around the club.”
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