The much-anticipated match between Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu was played on Wednesday at the FNB Stadium with plenty of drama. The Amakhosi frittered away the chance for a victory as both teams finished the game with ten men.
Blame has been heaped on Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Cole Alexander why Kaizer Chiefs could not win the game. With the Amakhosi leading 1-0, Cole Alexander received a red card to give Kaizer Chiefs a mountain to climb.
While Alexander receives blame for the red, his manager Stuart Baxter has come to his defence. He exonerated him of the blame for the result.
The game finished 1-1 in a tense affair as the AmaZulu failed to exact the desired revenge on the Amakhosi. The previous encounter between both sides ended 1-1 with AmaZulu claiming a robbery amid an alleged dubious penalty awarded to Kaizer Chiefs.
AmaZulu handed Kaizer Chiefs a first-half lead as former Amakhosi player Keagan Buchanan turned the ball into his net in an attempt to clear his lines. They were, however, handed a lifeline, with Alexander receiving his second yellow of the game after about an hour played.
AmaZulu capitalized on the man advantage with Bongi Ntuli getting an equalizer for Usuthu moments after the red card.
Baxter has, however, refrained from blaming the 32-year-old midfielder. According to the manager, red cards do change a game, but it is unwise to take out the commitment from players. He said they have to manage their commitment.
“When I came here the first time around, Willard Katsande was arguably a hooligan on the football field, but he changed, and he managed it, and we got him a role.
“Cole plays a little bit on edge, but he has energy, and we like that about him, but we’ve got to manage it. But as for the game, we were losing control of the game even with 11 men.
Baxter finalized by saying they have to work on the players and ensure they remain on the line of being competitive and not overstepping their bounds.