Michaelson Ntokozo Gumede

By Ntokozo Gumede

Journalist


Hunt backs his young SuperSport team to get better

"We will definitely get better because the team is associated with success," says Hunt.


SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt has pointed out the financial realities that are forcing him to strike a winning formula with a youth dominated squad.

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Since his return to The Spartans, the four-time league-winning coach is still hunting for his first win after losses to TS Galaxy and AmaZulu and draws against Orlando Pirates and Chippa United.

Matsatsantsa have had both Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Bernard Parker training with them, but SuperSport missed out on their experience as they signed with AmaZulu and TS Galaxy respectively.

“Cape Town City finished second last season and they have not won a game yet. We can go around and look at the league and look at the teams that have spent on their squads,” said Hunt.

“But we’ll soldier on, it’s a club that has always believed in the youth and we will keep playing the youth but it does create some anxious moments because you want to get the results. This is a club with huge success but it is a different animal fighting with these different teams in terms of what’s happening financially, it is a big ask,” he added.

However, the United mentor is a prisoner of hope and he is of the view that he will get his young team to gel as they look forward to travelling to the King Zwelithini Stadium to take on Richards Bay on Wednesday.

“There is no doubt that we will get better. We could have had eight or nine points now by playing the same way and we could have been second on the log and people were going to say ‘ah, this team is doing well’. But I have the belief in the team,” said Hunt.

George Chigova was named the Man-of-the-Match against the Buccaneers, giving Hunt a good headache when it comes to the goalkeeping front. It was clear that Ricardo Goss, signed on loan from Sundowns would be his first choice but after sitting out two games on suspension, his replacement put up a stellar performance.

“We’ve got a small squad of about 24 players and that’s a problem. But there’s belief here and there’s a way. We will definitely get better because the team is associated with success and there have been a lot of cups but it is a different situation now,” added Hunt.