KAIZER Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has full confidence in his strikers despite goals running dry for the Amakhosi front-men. Chiefs take on Platinum Stars in Sunday's Telkom Knockout quarterfinal at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs' 15-match winning run in all competitions - 13 of them this season - came to an end in their 1-1 draw against Moroka Swallows at FNB in midweek.
Amakhosi's fluency has appeared to flag in each victory, which cannot have been helped by Kingston Nkhatha, Bernard Parker and Siphelele Mthembu scoring one goal among them in nine league matches.
Baxter said as long as Amakhosi's midfield fires - Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Mandla Masango and George Lebese have combined for 11 league goals - he will remain satisfied.
"Our strikers are still doing a good job. I took Kingston off against Swallows because after his illness he was a bit jaded," Baxter explained.
"I'll be worried about the strikers if they make it a worry. As long as we're scoring from other areas I'm not too worried. But when I see the strikers making it a confidence thing, then it's a concern."
Nkhatha made a return against Swallows, where Letsholonyane's equaliser took him to PSL top scorer with five goals. Parker has missed two games with bruising to the bone.
"Bernard had that scan. The advice we had was not to risk him against Swallows, because that could have meant losing him for another month," Baxter said.
"He joined normal training this morning (yesterday) and had no problem. So I guess he'll step that up and be available (for Sunday)."
Baxter said he will play a full-strength combination, fatigue and injuries permitting, against Stars.
Baxter's counterpart Allan Freese faces the challenge of meeting a Chiefs side that beat Stars three times - 2-0, 3-0 and 2-0 - in a league encounter and two legs of an MTN8 semifinal in August.
"We've played them three times, we'll play them the fourth time and we'll play them the fifth time," Freese said.
"I've got to get the team to go out there and perform. I'm hoping the players come to the party."
Baxter is content - midfield goals delight coach
KAIZER Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has full confidence in his strikers despite goals running dry for the Amakhosi front-men. Chiefs take on Platinum Stars in Sunday's Telkom Knockout quarterfinal at FNB Stadium.
Chiefs' 15-match winning run in all competitions - 13 of them this season - came to an end in their 1-1 draw against Moroka Swallows at FNB in midweek.
Amakhosi's fluency has appeared to flag in each victory, which cannot have been helped by Kingston Nkhatha, Bernard Parker and Siphelele Mthembu scoring one goal among them in nine league matches.
Baxter said as long as Amakhosi's midfield fires - Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Mandla Masango and George Lebese have combined for 11 league goals - he will remain satisfied.
"Our strikers are still doing a good job. I took Kingston off against Swallows because after his illness he was a bit jaded," Baxter explained.
"I'll be worried about the strikers if they make it a worry. As long as we're scoring from other areas I'm not too worried. But when I see the strikers making it a confidence thing, then it's a concern."
Nkhatha made a return against Swallows, where Letsholonyane's equaliser took him to PSL top scorer with five goals. Parker has missed two games with bruising to the bone.
"Bernard had that scan. The advice we had was not to risk him against Swallows, because that could have meant losing him for another month," Baxter said.
"He joined normal training this morning (yesterday) and had no problem. So I guess he'll step that up and be available (for Sunday)."
Baxter said he will play a full-strength combination, fatigue and injuries permitting, against Stars.
Baxter's counterpart Allan Freese faces the challenge of meeting a Chiefs side that beat Stars three times - 2-0, 3-0 and 2-0 - in a league encounter and two legs of an MTN8 semifinal in August.
"We've played them three times, we'll play them the fourth time and we'll play them the fifth time," Freese said.
"I've got to get the team to go out there and perform. I'm hoping the players come to the party."
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