×

We've got news for you.

Register on SowetanLIVE at no cost to receive newsletters, read exclusive articles & more.
Register now

Why United have the edge

Imagine walking past the trophy just before kick off and not being able to hold or kiss it when the final whistle blows.

This is something SuperSport United head coach Stuart Baxter thinks about, and it usually motivates him to succeed in knockout competition finals.

Baxter is yet to lose a cup final since arriving in SA in 2012 to work in the PSL, and as he prepares to face Cape Town City in the Telkom Knockout final at Peter Mokaba Stadium tomorrow, the former Kaizer Chiefs coach will certainly be the favourite to lift the trophy ahead of Eric Tinkler, who is searching for his maiden piece of silverware as a head coach.

The Knockout is the only title missing in Baxter's collection of trophies in the PSL. "I have actually lost a final, the Super Cup final in Japan. That time there were two leagues. There was a league that ran the first half of the season and the second league in the second half of the season. And then those two winners played off in the Super Cup final. I lost that one 1-0 and it was not a nice feeling," said Baxter.

"I remember Ryan Giggs said that Sir Alex Ferguson - as Manchester United were going off at half time in the [1999] Champions League final against Bayern Munich - said to them, 'just imagine if you can't get your hands on that cup or kiss after walking past it'. What I try to do is prepare the players as best as possible and prepare myself as best as possible and enjoy the occasion."

Baxter would become only the second coach, after Pitso Mosimane of Sundowns, to win all trophies in PSL era since 1996.