Newly-appointed Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter admits to facing challenges with regards to the pressures of dealing with both the national team and Matsatsantsa.

The 63-year-old mentor was unveiled as the new national team coach last week with the South African Football Association revealing that they had agreed with terms with SuperSport about the services of Baxter, who will take over the reins at the end of the current season, meaning that the Scotsman will be in charge of both national team and the club.

The former Kaizer Chiefs mentor was reticent when commenting on his new role, but acknowledged the challenges that lay ahead.

‘I’ve got to tell you straight away that Safa have asked me not to comment on my role with them in detail because obviously, the president is out of the country,’ he told KickOff.com

‘And also for me, it is out of respect to my present employer [SuperSport United] who has been very good to me, but if I give you a general comment, it’s like it’s not easy to be there on the SuperSport bench with people asking about the national job.

‘It’s not easy looking to the future seeing important games coming up with SuperSport and the national team to try and split yourself to do both, it’s not easy.

‘But it is a challenge I thought hard about, and it is a challenge I want to take on,’ he concluded.

Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix