Eric Mathoho and Stuart Baxter during an Absa Premiership match
Despite Kaizer Chiefs' unbeaten start to their Premiership campaign, which has brought them five wins and a draw from six matches, coach Stuart Baxter maintains there is still room for improvement in the Amakhosi ranks.
"The defenders have done particularly well individually, conceding only three Premier League goals, I'm looking for more cohesion and unity from players who have not had all that much time playing together," Baxter said after Chiefs' dominant 2-0 win over newly-promoted Chippa United at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night.
Baxter added that the ratio of goals to the number of chances created left a lot to be desired.
"Of course, the main thing is that we are creating all those chances," Baxter explained.
"But the finishing as a whole has not been of an equal standard and I'm looking for more goals.
"Naturally I'm more than satisfied with the results, but the last thing we need right now is to become complacent and the best way to avoid this is to work hard and to strive towards further improvement."
Tefu Mashamaite scored the opener in the 39th-minute and substitute Lehlohonolo Majoro added the second in the 78th-minute, to out-muscle the Cape Town outfit.
Ironically, it was an elementary blunder by Niger international goalkeeper Kassaly Daouda – his only mistake in a busy 90 minutes – that enabled Chiefs to break the deadlock after they had struggled without success for much of the opening 30 minutes.
Majoro effectively sealed the result when he rounded-off a clinical, flowing movement from close-range following a pass from fellow-substitute Josta Dladla.
Baxter will have a few concerns after the match, however, especially the injury to Bafana Bafana midfielder Reneilwe Lehlohonolo midway through the second period.
Although caused by a crunching tackle, the incident went unpunished by the referee and Baxter said he was shocked that no action was taken.
"[It was] nothing less than a disgrace that the culprit responsible for Lehlohonolo's injury went totally unpunished," Baxter said.
"Why we were not even awarded a free-kick following what was a brazenly ugly and cynical incident [is beyond me]," added the Chiefs coach. – Sapa.