Should Baxter Get Punished?

 

06 April 2013

Although the fiery 0-0 Absa Premiership draw between Kaizer Chiefs and Golden Arrows provided many talking points it was the venomous post match comments of Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter that are likely to spark the liveliest debates amongst the South African football fraternity.
The Scot’s post-match rant prompted a hasty apology from the coach himself as well as the broadcaster but it remains to be seen whether he will escape without further punishment.
Following referee Lwandile Mfiki’s puzzling decision to send off Reneilwe Letsholonyane during the match at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Baxter and Manqoba Mngqithi were involved in a heated exchange on the touchline.
Footage revealed that Abafana Bes’thende’s mentor had sworn at Baxter and after the game the Chiefs coach refused to shake his adversary’s hand.
This prompted an angry response from Mngqithi who suggested that Baxter should “go to hell”, but his comment paled in comparison to Baxter’s words a moment later.
“I don’t shake the hands of coaches that tell me to f*** off. We can have little arguments and we can have views on the referee’s decisions but when a coach walks towards me and tells me that, then I don’t shake his hand,” said the former Bafana Bafana coach.
Even though it was an emotionally charged affair should Baxter be punished for his use of a swear word on televison