SuperSport United manager Gavin Hunt has offered insight into the challenges his team faces as they navigate the DStv Premiership season.
The club’s policy of selling players has made them susceptible to wealthier rivals in the league.
Before this season commenced, two notable players, Thapelo Maseko and Patrick Maswanganyi, made high-profile moves to Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, respectively. Additionally, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe left for Kaizer Chiefs on a free transfer after signing a pre-contract in January, while Jamie Webber joined Sekhukhune United as a free agent.
Currently, in the DStv Premiership standings, SuperSport are third with 16 points after eight games. They trail behind Golden Arrows with 17 points and the dominating league leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns, with an impressive 24 points.
Hunt lamented the loss of key performers from the previous season and expressed concerns about further raids on his squad to the media. “We lost our most effective weapon from last season, Maseko, and he has moved to Sundowns. We also lost Patrick to Pirates and TT (Ditlhokwe) to Chiefs,” Hunt stated.
Despite finishing third last season, Hunt acknowledged that the team has undergone significant changes. “We came third but never built on the third place. We broke it (team) down and then we dismantled it to try again,” he explained.
Hunt pointed out the absence of crucial players due to injuries, including Siphesihle Ndlovu, Thulani Hlatshwayo and Siyanda Xulu, further complicating the situation.
Reflecting on the broader context of player movements, Hunt acknowledged, “It’s the nature of the game, and I think it’s only going to get worse. They’ll be one or two gone at the end of the year, it’s more than likely.”
SuperSport also face the challenge of balancing domestic and continental competitions, as they have qualified for the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. Their group includes Libyan side Al-Hilal Benghazi and Future FC of Egypt.
Hunt emphasized the importance of protecting their league status, stating, “We will go into Africa with kids because the most important thing is our league status.”
He cited previous experiences, saying, “SuperSport got to the final of the Confederation Cup six years ago, and they should have been relegated. They went into the continent and they got hurt so you have to be careful when you play on the continent because we don’t have the ammunition.”
Hunt acknowledged that fielding younger players may be necessary to navigate the demands of both domestic and continental competitions.
SuperSport’s next league fixture will be after the international break on October 29, when they face Royal AM at Lucas Moripe Stadium at 18h00.
