Cape Town - Stuart Baxter is the new head coach of SuperSport United after Gordon Igesund was given the boot by the ambitious Pretoria club.
The move has been long in coming, but finally came to fruition on Wednesday. In August last year, when former Kaizer Chiefs coach Baxter was fired by Turkish side Genclerbirligi after just two games, there were already suggestions that the Briton was headed for SuperSport.
At the time, Igesund was under pressure following a string of poor results. But, for a brief period, the tide turned and he managed to hang on to his job.
This year, however, with still no real improvement at Matsatsantsa, and the club languishing in 10th spot on the PSL log, it was time for a change.
Baxter is now tasked with turning things around at the beleaguered club who, despite several high-profile signings, including Bafana Bafana midfielder Dean Furman, have failed to live up to expectations.
“Gordon (Igesund) turned our fortunes around last season by winning the Telkom Cup,” said SuperSport chief executive Stan Matthews. “We will remain appreciative of that as well as for the way he has been as a coach and an ambassador with our stakeholders and sponsors. He is a thorough professional. Unfortunately, the results and performances have not matched our expectations and we felt it fair to tell Gordon early on that we are looking to the future for next season and beyond.”
Igesund, a former Bafana coach and a four-time winner of the PSL title with Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates, Santos and Mamelodi Sundowns, was disappointed but fully understood that it was part and parcel of being a coach in the sport.
“It is a sad day for me as I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at SuperSport United, working with an incredibly professional club,” he said. “But I honestly felt that it was in the best interests of the club that I move on prior to the end of my contract to afford a new coach the opportunity to work with this group of players as soon as possible.
“I am not content, as I would have liked to achieve more, but I am pleased to have been able to win a trophy for the club in my relatively short time in charge. This is the reality of football worldwide and I wish SuperSport and the players all the best in their future endeavours.”
SuperSport captain Furman revealed he and his teammates had reacted with shock to the sacking of Igesund on Wednesday.
“It’s a bit of a shock. It’s obviously not nice that the coach has lost his job but that’s football. For us now it’s important not to dwell on what’s gone and it’s important to move forward and focus on Free State Stars (in Atteridgeville on Saturday),” said Furman.
Much is, of course, expected from Baxter, whose time at Chiefs was loaded with success. The 62-year-old inspired the popular Soweto club to two PSL league titles as well as the Nedbank Cup and the MTN8.
“I love working in South Africa and, when informed of the interest from SuperSport, I was really excited to be coming back ‘home’,” he said. “It’s going to be exciting to work for a brand that has quickly established itself as a strong force in the PSL.
“SuperSport United are a dynamic and an ambitious club with a fantastic track record… Obviously, the club finds itself in a difficult position and, with limited preparation time, but it’s an exciting challenge for me.”
Cape Argus