Baxter hopeful over Kaizer Chiefs defender’s injury

Stuart Baxter gave Amakhosi fans hope Ramahlwe Mphahlele will be able to play in Saturday’s Telkom Knockout Soweto derby semifinal, after the right back had to be taken off the field in the second half of Bafana Bafana’s 1-1 draw with Paraguay on Tuesday evening at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Mphahlele started the game against Paraguay, but had to come off in the 56th minute and was replaced by Thamsanqa Mkhize.

“We have tried to show respect to the clubs in terms of the loading of players,” said the Bafana Bafana head coach.

“In a perfect world, with the players for the derby, we would have liked to pull them out a bit earlier and spread the load, but this is the national team and you can’t do that, you can’t win a popularity contest, you have to try to win games for the nation. Rama had a slight strain, and as soon as he flagged it we pulled him off. We told him at the start of the second half, if you feel anything, you are coming off, and he flagged it straight away.

“I don’t think it is a bad one, but it is up to our medics to give a report to Chiefs and they will assess him.”

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