Kerr: I thought Dax would be buzzing against Kaizer Chiefs but substitution didn’t work out

It was almost inevitable former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Andriamirado ‘Dax’ Andrianarimanana would leave his mark on the game between Amakhosi and Black Leopards at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.

The league match ended 2-2, Chiefs fighting back in the second half after having gone into the break 0-2 down.

Andrianarimanana is, of course, the reason Chiefs are currently in the middle of a Fifa transfer ban, the Soweto club having been found guilty of failing to compensate the player’s former club in Madagascar, Fosa Juniors.

While Amakhosi were hit with a signing ban for two transfer windows, Andrianarimanana, or Dax as he is commonly known, was given a four-month suspension and a fine in the region of R650 000. In the interim, he signed for Black Leopards.

So it was always going to be interesting to see how he would do on his return to his former club, as it was his arrival at Naturena which has left the Soweto club in their current predicament.

Dax did not start on Wednesday night for Leopards, but came off the substitutes bench in the second half and unwittingly played a part in both of Chiefs’ goals.

In the first case, some sloppy play from him in midfield led indirectly to Nkosingiphile Ngcobo scoring Amakhosi’s first goal.

The second one was a rather comical affair as the Madagascan, inside his own box, allowed a loose ball to go through his legs. His team-mate Ethan Sampson then kicked the ball against Dax, which resulted in it being deflected towards the Leopards goal, where Lidoda Duvha keeper King Ndlovu did well to touch it onto the bar, only for Khama Billiat to pounce from close range with the equaliser.

In hindsight Leopards coach Dylan Kerr admitted bringing on Dax wasn’t the best move.

“Dax, playing against Kaizer Chiefs, he’s put them in this hell with no transfers,” the Englishman told SuperSport TV after the match.

“I don’t know him personally…But I thought he’s playing against his old team; keep the ball, be buzzing, be busy.

“He’s given the ball away for the first goal, given possession away. We should have dealt with it better because it’s come from just inside our half and into the 18-yard box, we should have defended better.

“Its football, you make these decisions. I thought Dax would go on and do something, but it’s football you know – you make these decisions as coaches, sometimes they work.”