Fans didn’t shed tears for Baxter following Friday’s announcement.
As expected, Stuart Baxter, the South African men’s senior national football team head coach, announced his resignation on Friday during a press conference in Johannesburg. It’s the second time Baxter has resigned the post. The first time came in 2005 after he failed to guide his troops to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Baxter has better success this time, most recently leading his charges to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Total AFCON. The tournament favorite, Nigeria, then eliminated Bafana.
Bafana fans are not shedding tears over Baxter’s recent departure, though. His spotty record and concerns about his coaching decision making are two reasons why. Fans were perturbed that Bafana didn’t advance to the 2018 World Cup, and they weren’t happy when Baxter banished PSL’s Player of the Season, Tembinkosi Lorch, from all three group matches at this year’s AFCON. As Don Plugger proclaimed on Twitter, “Stuart Baxter wasn’t supposed to resign, he was supposed to be fired.”
That probably well expresses how other Befana fans are feeling at the moment. Many aren’t following the advice offered in Matthew 24:17, “Do not gloat when your enemy falls. When they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.”
Baxter certainly wasn’t an enemy, but many South African hearts are, indeed, rejoicing.
