Baxter ‘not sure’ if Chiefs get anxious at sight of Galaxy

Stuart Baxter admitted his Kaizer Chiefs team played with a lot of nerves as they were held to a goalless draw by TS Galaxy in a DSTv Premiership match at FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening. 

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Amakhosi failed to build on the momentum they had created when they beat Chippa United 3-1 away in Port Elizabeth just three days earlier. On Tuesday, they could hardly string together five passes and the game became like ping-pong.  

“I am not sure if that is the case,” said Baxter when asked if it could be an anxiety issue brought on by Galaxy always proving to be a difficult opponent for Chiefs in previous games. 

Galaxy have previously beaten Chiefs twice in Nedbank Cup games, in the final in 2019 and this season in the last 32, while they have now drawn three league meetings, with just one 1-0 victory for Amakhosi.

“I think that we opened the game quite well. But we lost the fluidity and the momentum – we allowed that to drift away. And that causes a lot of turnovers, a nervous game. They played with a lot of nerves and so did we,” added Baxter.

“You just want to take away that anxiety. I don’t think they are constantly thinking about the previous games with TS Galaxy. I don’t think so. 

“The game against Chippa… There was more energy there, it was more expansive but I think again at times we did get a more controlled game going but for periods too short. 

“We need to extend that, if I am saying good and bad, it would be 50-50 tonight and you can’t build momentum on that. A draw at home is not good enough for us.”