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Cape Town - Newly-appointed Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter has revealed he will be making regular trips to Europe to touch base with national team footballers who are based there.
Baxter has been tasked with ensuring South Africa qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon in 2019, and next year’s World Cup in Russia, and his first job will see him taking the team to Nigeria as they try to navigate their way to the continental showpiece.
“Yes, I will be going to watch the players because I believe all South Africans deserve an opportunity of impressing their national coach,” Baxter was quoted by the SowetanLIVE website.
“They will be given a fair chance. They will have to be playing. They must not be playing in the reserves every week.
“I will make an effort.”
The two-time league champion with Kaizer added that he would not be spending more time abroad, and insisted that he would be paying a lot of attention to the local domestic league.
“What has changed is that the PSL is more competitive now. I think we have closed the gap on the players playing abroad and players playing here. But I will be making trips,” said Baxter, currently seeing the end of his tenure as SuperSport United coach.
Some of the players abroad who will be hoping to impress the coach are Keagan Dolly, Kermit Erasmus, Andile Jali, May Mahlangu, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Lars Veldwijk, Bongani Zungu, Thulani Serero, Ayanda Patosi, Daylon Claasen and Dino Ndlovu.
