Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter has given insight into the impact of his substitutes, and why he waited to make the changes in their 1-0 victory over Baroka on Saturday night.
Khama Billiat scored in stoppage time to give Chiefs the three points, a result that lifts the Amakhosi to second in the DStv Premiership.
Baxter says Baroka were causing problems with long balls into the box and he needed his three centre backs in those situations, but as time wore on he felt they need to throw caution to the wind, and make an attacking change.
“Yeah, well, I mean, look, I waited because Baroka’s main threat was coming from them hoofing balls into our penalty area,” Baxter told the club’s media deparment.
“And they did it with some quality and some aggression. So really, I needed the three centre-backs, the three big lads to win the headers.
“But we just decided, we played so well that we were going to go for it and putting the more attacking players on the field.
“So take off a centre-back, bring on Bibo (Sabelo Radebe) and Lebza (Lebohang Manyama), who would be two eights pushing forward, leave Phathu (Nange) to sit and rotate the ball.
“And I think they both had a bit of an impact, they both probed and at the finish we get the ball, and Khama’s there, as he’d been all night without success, but this time he stuck it in the back of the net.”
