Stuart Baxter: We Wanted To Put Pressure On Sundowns

The Chiefs were bolstered going into the encounter by the news that the two games they missed in December due to a Covid-19 outbreak among the squad would be replayed — with a chance to win six points.

Amakhosi, on the other hand, put forth a lackluster performance that effectively squandered the opportunity the team had fought for by appealing the PSL ruling after the delay requests were denied.

After a 1-0 loss to Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium, Baxter said that the media hype and fan reaction may have influenced some of his players’ decisions.

“Maybe it has some sort of effect, it’s difficult to know… you’d like to think the group of players you’re working with can adapt to different situations,” he said in the post-match press conference in response to iDiski Times.

“To find out yes we’re getting the games to play, we’re getting the fair crack of the whip there, let that reflect in our desire to take three points tonight. Yes, there was speculation based on; with those two games, there’s a potential six points.

“And with the game against Sundowns there’s a potential three points we can take there but the sensible person knows that’s a possibility, not a probability and we had to do our job tonight and every other game, to keep the pressure on Sundowns.

“That pressure is minimal and now I think they can almost relax in their games, we wanted it to be the opposite for them going into their games with hype and worry that if they slip up that someone would be there to take advantage of it, now that’s not the case.

“You don’t know if that’s the case tonight but I would like to think we’re strong enough to get through that.”

When Chiefs meet Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium next Saturday, they’ll be looking to get back on track.