Mashiane, Zuma, Radebe to be given Kaizer Chiefs lifeline by Zwane?

Talented Kaizer Chiefs trio Dumisani Zuma, Happy Mashiane and Sabelo Radebe may be set to benefit from the departure of Stuart Baxter.

All three are fans' favourites - skillful, exciting to watch, but for the most part, were under-used by Baxter.

It was Baxter's more conservative approach which soured his relationship with the fans and it was telling that in the first match since his departure, against Stellenbosch FC, Zuma was given his first taste of action since he turned out against Swallows on May 12 last year.

Zuma's lengthy absence was down to some disciplinary and injury issues, but even though he's been back on track in training over the past couple of months, Baxter was yet to lay him.

The former Bloemfontein Celtic winger responded positively to be given a cameo role off the bench by stand-on coaches Arthur Zwane and Dillon Sheppard and a bright performance will surely earn him some more game-time in the closing matches of the season.

That's something which seemed unlikely to happen under Baxter and it's not improbable that he may never have played for Chiefs again, had the club then decided to part ways at the end the season - after what has been a challenging time in the player's career.

Instead now, Zuma looks set to be given the platform to prove that he still has a lot to offer Chiefs, and to be fair, he had impressed earlier in his Amakhosi career when playing more regularly.

There's little doubt the fans would like a focussed and fully-firing Zuma in the team for the next few seasons.

Mashiane (three starts, two substitute appearances) and Radebe (one start, five appearances off the bench in the league) are another two players who were not really in Baxter's reckoning, but who started on Saturday against SuperSport.

They may not have impressed as much as Zuma did, but can take confidence from being in the starting XI and will be hoping to make an impact in the final handful of games.