Kaizer Chiefs mentor Arthur Zwane has responded with shock to former coach Stuart Baxter’s allegations that he and assistant Dillon Sheppard backstabbed and undermined him by fielding a different team when he was off-sick due to Covid-19 last season.
Baxter made the allegations during a radio interview recently. In his absence, Zwane and Sheppard managed to beat Sekhukhune United 2-0, then lost 1-0 to Royal AM before emerging 2-0 victorious against Maritzburg United.
“I must say I am a little bit disappointed but to be quite honest, I don’t care. I don’t really care simply because we are in the business of football,” said Zwane.
“And when I listened to him carefully and what was being said on radio, the problem started when he was sick. So, if we’re to break it down, it’s simple – it’s actually exposing himself.”
“That weekend when we played against Swallows, I was also sick. The coach Sheppy [Sheppard] followed. Then we were supposed to play Cape Town City, I was still recovering and so was coach Sheppy.
“And when you look at our starting eleven against Swallows, Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya was in the team, Happy Mashiane went in and most of the youngsters played because we had Covid cases.”
Commenting on their 4-0 humiliation by Sundowns at the weekend, Zwane explained: “After the Sundowns game, I thought we did not play well at all, but I realised after watching the game at home that we played well. We were just unsettled by the goal we conceded early in the game.
“Then there was the second goal from the penalty spot. From there it was easy for them to get the third because we were just chasing the game. I am proud of the boys that we did not lose the structure, we kept the structure and kept on chasing the match, but we could not score. We are definitely on the right track.”
Meanwhile, Burundian striker Bonfils Bimenyimana has finally arrived at Amakhosi headquarters in Naturena. Bimenyimana will plug the gap as a centre-forward.
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