Ngcobo is not the best centre-back we have at Chiefs, says Baxter

Stuart Baxter says Njabulo Ngcobo has to prove to him that he is the best central defender at the Naturena-based club.

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This is despite the 27-year-old defender winning a PSL gong Defender of the Season at Swallows last season.

Baxter has insisted on using Daniel Cardoso and Erick Mathoho at centre back, much to the supporters’ agitation, with Ngcobo shifted to a midfield position.

There have been rumours that Ngcobo is unhappy and uncomfortable with the position he plays at Amakhosi.
However, when it was put to Baxter that Ngcobo is not happy playing in midfield and believes he is better suited at centre-back, Baxter said he was playing him where he (Baxter feels he is more suited as he is not the best centre-back they have).

“Ngcobo has the worst burns I have ever seen in a footballer and he hasn’t been training at the moment and he was not selectable for this game and he won’t be for a while,” said Baxter.

Ngcobo was absent with a serious burn as Chiefs were beaten 1-0 by TS Galaxy on Saturday and knocked out of the Nedbank Cup.

“If he wants to play at centre back, he will play at centre back, if he is the best centre back we have. He is not at the moment and I put him at centre midfield. I would think he wants to play wherever selected which is the indication he has given to me.

“I am sure his preference is centre back but he has got to prove that he is the best for that job. He has had a few injuries and he has been up and down and it hasn’t been easy for him in his first season at Kaizer Chiefs.

“I am not rushing him. I will try to evaluate him over a long period of time and it would help him if he didn’t have a 12 inch burn that ripped the skin off him and he can hardly walk. It would help him to show at training that he is worth a place.”

At the weekend, Baxter played Cardoso and Austin Dube at centre-back with Mathoho taking a place on the bench.

Amakhosi lost the Nedbank Cup fixture against TS Galaxy, as their defensive frailties were exposed by the hard running attack of the Rockets.

It will be interesting to see how Baxter sets his team up for their next game, a DStv Premiership tie against Cape Town City in the Mother City this evening.