Luke Baartman: From No. 9 to Modern Forward for Kaizer Chiefs
Luke Baartman is suddenly the noise around Naturena.
The 20-year-old, once tagged as a classic penalty-box poacher, has exploded into the new 2026/27 Premier Soccer League campaign and is fast becoming the name Kaizer Chiefs fans shout first when the team sheet drops.
On Wednesday night at FNB Stadium, he added another line to his fast-growing story. A sharp finish, a composed performance, and a 2-0 win over Sekhukhune United to go with it. His first goal of the league season, and a clear sign that this is not the same Baartman who tiptoed through his debut campaign with just seven appearances.
From fixed No. 9 to modern weapon
The transformation starts with Fernando Da Cruz.
Baartman arrived at Chiefs with the label “traditional No. 9” stuck firmly to his back. Da Cruz has been busy peeling it off. He has pushed the former Urban Warriors forward into new areas of the pitch, demanding movement, flexibility, and intelligence rather than a static presence between the posts.
“Modern football now requires players who are able to play in many positions,” Da Cruz told FARPost, laying out the thinking behind the switch.
“For a young player like Luke Baartman, it’s important to give him different tools to be able to play in different positions.
“The most important thing for him is to read the game, for example, knowing what to do when he receives the ball in different situations of the game.”
This is not theory for theory’s sake. Chiefs’ pre-season tour of Spain gave the technical team a live laboratory. Against European opposition, they saw Baartman drift wide, drop into pockets, press from the front and still arrive in the box with menace. A finisher, yes, but clearly more than that.
The evidence from that tour has bled into the PSL. Baartman now looks like a forward built for the modern game, not just a target man waiting for service.
Talent, temperament, and a warning
Da Cruz is not just banking on Baartman’s feet. He is backing his head.
“It’s a player with good technical qualities and also a player with good explosiveness when he plays football,” the Chiefs coach said, before turning to what really convinces him.
“He is a young player and, for the moment, he listens to what the coaches ask of him, which is very important to me.
“The most important thing for young players is to listen to what the coach wants, because sometimes young players think that they are experienced.
“But Luke is very focused and knows what the coach expects from him.”
That humility stands out in a football world where early praise can derail a career before it properly starts. Baartman, by all accounts, has chosen the quieter route: work, listen, adapt.
Yet even as the excitement grows in the stands, caution rules behind the scenes.
Chiefs are staring at a brutal calendar: Premier Soccer League, CAF Confederation Cup, Carling Knockout, Nedbank Cup. Games stack up, travel mounts, pressure hardens. For a 20-year-old still building his body and his engine, the risk is obvious.
Da Cruz is determined not to burn out his brightest young spark.
“As an experienced coach, I know that I cannot ask Luke to perform at a high level throughout the whole season,” he admitted.
“Sometimes he will need to recover, so we need to support him at different times of the season.”
So Baartman’s rise will not be a reckless sprint. Chiefs want it to be a managed climb – fewer headlines in October, more impact in April and May.
Right now, though, the signs are impossible to ignore. A once-fringe forward has kicked open the door, embraced a new role, and given Amakhosi a fresh attacking dimension.
If this is only the beginning, how far can Luke Baartman carry Kaizer Chiefs this season?
