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Why Baxter feels Chiefs can hang on

STRATEGISING: Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter, seen here alongside assistant Doctor Khumalo, right, says the club learnt from last year's slump when they surrendered the titlePhoto: Duif du Toit/Gallo Images
STRATEGISING: Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter, seen here alongside assistant Doctor Khumalo, right, says the club learnt from last year's slump when they surrendered the titlePhoto: Duif du Toit/Gallo Images

IT IS almost a feeling of deja vu with a twist for Kaizer Chiefs, who have an incredible 24-point haul in the Absa Premiership with eight matches played this season.

Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter said he was aware of similarities to the previous campaign, where the Glamour Boys were also quick out of the blocks, but surrendered their title to Mamelodi Sundowns in the end.

"The difference this time is that we have all played the same number of games. Last season we were always looking over our shoulders because they had games in hand, and we needed to win.

"This season we want to win, and there's a difference because the rest of them need to catch up," said Baxter of Chiefs' winning streak and 10-point lead at the summit ahead of tomorrow's game against struggling Moroka Swallows.

Amakhosi were criticised for allowing the wheels to come off in spectacular fashion in the second half of last season as they finished the campaign with no silverware and behind Sundowns, who went on a remarkable 11-game unbeaten run to close the gap on Chiefs.

Baxter, who masterminded Sunday's 1-0 victory over Ajax Cape Town, said he was working on improving his players' reaction to the early lead during the infant stage of a marathon Premier League race.

"What we've done is we have created a slightly different mindset to last year when Sundowns expected us to slip up, especially because of the schedule we had.

"The roles are a little bit reversed and that is the positive we've got from the good start to the season," the coach said.

Chiefs again have the edge over their next opponent - a Swallows team that has suffered five successive defeats in all competitions.

The Dube Birds have reportedly parted ways with coach Zeca Marques. Baxter sympathised with him yesterday.

"Zeca is a real football man with a nice background and he's got passion for the game.

"I think he has been working hard at Swallows and it's not always been easy. There have been different sponsors pulling out and players moving without being replaced.

"We are in that stupid job where, if the ball hits the post and goes in you are a genius, but if it goes out you're a fool," Baxter said.

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