Stuart Baxter’s bizarre reason for overlooking Kaizer Chiefs outcast

Sibusiso Mabiliso came to Chiefs from AmaZulu with great expectations at the start of the season, but things haven’t gone as planned for him.

Despite having so much talent, the 22-year-old left-back has often found himself in the stands, as Baxter favors S’fiso Hlanti and Reeve Frosler.

Mabiliso was supposed to be granted the post on a permanent basis with Hlanti out injured since October 2021, but Baxter had other ideas.

Baxter told the media before of the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates that while Mabiliso is doing well in training, he still needs to ‘tighten’ a few ‘basics’ before being given a run.

Mind you, Mabiliso is a young player with enormous experience under his belt having been a regular at club level for three years before joining Chiefs.

He is also a South Africa international and an Olympian as he represented the country at the Tokyo games in 2021.

“We can probably go through every position in the team and say, ‘there’s a case for someone else getting a run’. Now, ‘Maba’ has been working hard and has shown a great attitude,” Baxter told reporters.

“I think a lot of the basics of our way of playing – he’s got to come. He is a great lad and a great professional. We just think he’s got a few basics to tighten down before we throw him in and give him that run that you are sort of alluding to… that when is he going to get that run of four or five games to establish himself.”

“I would say if he keeps training the way he does then it is just a question of time, not a question of whether or not it’s ever going to come. I think he is doing a great job, and he’s a great lad. We are happy to have him around,” added Baxter.