Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz believes Luke Baartman has the technical quality and explosiveness to develop into a key player for Amakhosi, but says the club must carefully guide him as he continues to grow.
Baartman marked a significant milestone on Wednesday night when he scored his first goal for Chiefs in their 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United at FNB Stadium.
The victory was exactly the response Amakhosi needed after their disappointing MTN8 campaign ended with a 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows. Mduduzi Shabalala, who came off the bench, added Chiefs’ second goal to secure a return to winning ways.
For Baartman, the occasion was particularly significant. The junior international joined Chiefs last season from Cape Town Spurs and has continued to develop as he adjusts to the demands of playing for one of South Africa’s biggest clubs.
Da Cruz has been impressed not only by Baartman’s ability, but also by his attitude towards learning.
“He has interesting technical quality. He’s a player with good technical quality and he also has good explosiveness in his game when he plays football,” Da Cruz said.
At just 20, Baartman remains a player in development, and Da Cruz believes his willingness to listen to instructions will be crucial to how far he can go.
“For the moment, he listens to what the coach asks of him, and that’s very important for him,” the French coach explained.
Da Cruz believes young players can sometimes get ahead of themselves, particularly when they begin making an impact at senior level. For him, humility and a willingness to learn are essential ingredients in Baartman’s development.
“The most important thing for a young player is to listen to what the coach wants from him, because sometimes young players think that they are experienced players,” he said.
“For the moment, Luke is very focused. He listens to what the coach expects from him.”
While scoring his first goal will undoubtedly boost Baartman’s confidence, Da Cruz is conscious of managing expectations around the youngster.
The Chiefs coach says Baartman himself understands that maintaining a high level throughout an entire season is difficult, particularly for a young player still adapting to the demands of senior football.
“He knows that he cannot have this level all season. Sometimes he will need to recover also, so we need to support him during these different times of the season,” said Da Cruz.
For Amakhosi, the objective is therefore not simply to get goals and performances from Baartman in the short term. Da Cruz wants to equip him with the tactical and technical tools to become a more complete footballer.
One of those areas is positional versatility.
“Today, in modern football, the notion of position is difficult when you look at the teams at the highest level,” Da Cruz said.
The Chiefs coach believes modern players need to be capable of operating in different positions and adapting to changing demands during matches.
“Modern football now is players that are able to play in different positions. And for a young player like Luke Baartman, it’s important to give him different tools to be able to play in different positions.”
But perhaps the biggest area of development for Baartman is his ability to read the game.
Da Cruz wants the youngster to develop the football intelligence to understand what each situation requires rather than simply relying on his natural technical ability.
“The most important thing for him is to read the game. When, for example, he receives the ball, he needs to understand why, what does he need to do now in this situation,” Da Cruz explained.
That education will be particularly important as Baartman faces increasingly demanding opposition and greater expectations at Chiefs.
His breakthrough comes at a crucial stage of the season. Chiefs needed a victory after their MTN8 disappointment, and Baartman’s first goal provided an added positive from a performance that restored some momentum.
Now, however, the challenge becomes even greater.
Amakhosi face a titanic clash against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday, providing Baartman with another opportunity to test himself against one of the strongest sides in the country.
For the youngster, it is an opportunity to build on his breakthrough moment. For Da Cruz, it is another step in a much bigger process.
Baartman may have opened his Chiefs account at FNB Stadium, but Da Cruz’s message is that the goal is only part of the journey.
The bigger task is to develop a player who can combine his technical quality and explosiveness with tactical intelligence, positional versatility and the maturity to understand when to attack, when to adapt and when to recover.
If Da Cruz can help unlock those qualities, Baartman could become much more than the youngster who scored his first Chiefs goal against Sekhukhune.
He could become an important part of the next chapter at Naturena.
Written by: Sandile Ndumo
