Baxter warns Bafana players about demanding starting berths
Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter says he and his technical team will not listen to players who demand a place in the starting eleven during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt next month.
Stuart Baxter, coach of South Africa (Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix)
In the past, Baxter had to deal with players that snubbed national team call-ups in the past because he couldn’t guarantee them a starting berth in Bafana Bafana games.
Kermit Erasmus and Thulani Serero, who are both in Baxter’s provisional squad for the Afcon, previously turned down national team call-ups over game time.
“If any of the squad players that we’ve picked, they want to tell the leadership of the national team that they are not bench players, then they will be removed from the list,” Baxter was quoted as saying by Vodacom Soccer. “I don’t think that Kermit, in a sensible moment, would make that sort of comment. But I can understand when people tell him that ‘you should have been in the squad’,” said Baxter.
The former Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United says no player will be guaranteed a place in the Bafana Bafana squad leading up to the 2019 Afcon in Egypt.
“So rather than listen to comments made by players in their disappointment, I would rather, in a calm moment, select them for the squad and in a calm moment have a discussion with them about ‘I can’t guarantee a place’.
“Benni [McCarthy, Cape Town City coach] would have to guarantee him a place and put his arm around him and make him feel some love.”
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