Former Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter feels it is not wise for the Glamour Boys' tactician Nasreddine Nabi to field all the youngsters in a highly competitive game.
Wandile Duba, Mduduzi Shabalala, Samkelo Zwane, and Mfundo Vilakazi have been used heavily by the Tunisian in the ongoing 2024/25 edition. In the Carling Knockout quarter-final fixture, Nabi started three of the team's youngsters as Amakhosi ended up losing 4-0.
Bater is happy to see the former Young Africans SC coach trusting his young guns, but he is not sure it is the right thing to do. He went on to explain how Mamelodi Sundowns superstar Teboho Mokoena was handled at SuperSport United despite his talent.
The 71-year-old believes they needed to be introduced gradually which would have helped them hit greater heights.
Baxter to Nabi – ‘You don't just throw youngsters in, they sink or swim
“You cannot really tell whether youngsters are going to be successful or not. We thought ‘Tebza' was going to be a top player but you can't be certain. But when Tebza came through, I had a conversation with Stan Matthews [SuperSport CEO], that, ‘We've got to deal with these young players properly,'” he told Mike Morton Talks Football.
“Because you don't just throw young players in, they sink or swim, some sink, some swim. Tebza trained with Yeye [Reneilwe Letsholonyane], Dean [Furman], yourself [Michael Morton], and all these top players, he learned from them and then sat on the bench. Then he came in for ten minutes, then came in for a half [45 minutes], played a friendly game, and started.
“Then when Yeye or Dean got injured, or yellow cards, he plays instead of [either of them]. He was learning. That humility you demand from him at that time, you go to him and say he should be on the bench [when regulars returned], Tebza understood that. He had the right mental, technical, and tactical makeup, he went through the right path. We didn't just throw him and said, ‘Here you go,'” he concluded.
Chiefs will be in action on Wednesday, November 27 in the Premier Soccer League against Richards Bay at the FNB Stadium.
