De Sa vs Hunt: The battle of the local coaches

As players they were both ‘winners’, fiercely competitive individuals, and enjoyed long and successful careers. Roger De Sa as a goalkeeper for the likes of Moroka Swallows and Mamelodi Sundowns, while Gavin Hunt was a tough-tackling right back during his 13 years with Hellenic.

It was arguably De Sa who enjoyed a more illustrious playing career. But with three league titles and several cups under his belt, it’s been Hunt who has found more success as a manager.

Separated by only by a few months at birth, both managers celebrated their 50th milestones last year, it was Hunt who moved into management earlier than De Sa, starting out in 1995 with Seven Stars (who later merged with Cape Town Spurs to become Ajax Cape Town in 1999), before moving on to Black Leopards, Moroka Swallows, SuperSport United and now Wits, who he will lead into battle at Athlone on Friday night for a Nedbank Cup quarter-final showdown with De Sa’s Ajax (8pm kickoff).

De Sa, meanwhile, began life as a coach in 2001, with Wits, before subsequently taking charge at Santos, Wits again, Orlando Pirates, and now Ajax.

Although De Sa has not enjoyed the same kind of trophy success as Hunt, he has gained a reputation as one of the best local coaches in the PSL, especially when it comes to developing young players, and he was indeed unfortunate to lose three cup finals during his spell at Pirates, which included a CAF Champions League final defeat to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

It will be a case of a Cape Town-born coach leading a Johannesburg-based club into battle against a Cape Town club who are managed by a man who, although born in Mozambique, spent most of his life in Johannesburg.

“We are certainly the wrong way around aren’t we,” joked Hunt at yesterday’s pre-match press conference. “John Comitis (former Ajax boss) phoned me 13 years ago, and I’m still waiting for his phone call back!”

“We go a long way back, a lot of games we’ve played together, good times, bad times,” he continued. “I think it’s important that we keep the local guys in the game as long as we can. I think there have been more opportunities for guys like Roger and myself over the years – you just have to try and stay in the job, you’ve got to pay school fees!

“I remember in 1994, we played them (Moroka Swallows) in the Coca Cola Cup semi-final at the FNB Stadium and we got through, that was the one and only final we got to! I remember it went to penalties and Roger was in goal.”

Likewise, De Sa’s memories of Hunt also go back to the early 1990’s. “My first encounter with Gavin was at Hartleyvale, Kwikot Benoni versus Hellenic, we lost 2-0. I certainly remember because I picked the ball out the net, although it wasn’t Gavin who scored – he was at the back somewhere knocking long balls, I remember he had a very fine channel ball! We go back a long, long time, I think he probably started coaching a few years before me, being a goalkeeper I hung in there a bit longer.

“I don’t know what the record is between the two of us, but we all know he’s had a lot more success in winning championships. It’s always good to come up against a fellow South African – we have played each other, coached against each other, we call each other on the phone occasionally, so it’s always been good,” said De Sa.

Back to the business of Friday night’s encounter at Athlone, and both coaches concede that it’s going to be a tough game that could potentially go either way, the two sides having recorded a win apiece in their two league meetings this season.

“It’s a tough draw for us, coming down to Cape Town,” said Hunt.

“We don’t have the best record here, and lost in the league earlier this season. I think it will be tighter – both league games were very open, it could be a little different.”

There was a very good supporter turn-out for Ajax’s 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in their last 16 Nedbank Cup encounter, and De Sa is hopeful that home comforts could again help swing the game in his side’s advantage.

“We know how difficult it’s going to be,” he said. “We did get a good result against them in the first round of the league, but got a good smack when we travelled there, so we are hoping to turn it around and keep our season alive really. Apart from the top eight, this is all we have left to play for. We have beaten most teams at home – we have a really good home record.

“So to get a home draw was vital for us, that was the first thing we looked out for when we watched the draw – we’re not the best travellers, so hope- fully that gives us a chance to go through.

“But we are playing against a steam of quality players, a team motivated and doing well, so it will be very difficult for us. We have a young team, a team for the future, but it’s important for us to play in these games, to get better and better, for us it’s like another cup final.”

Both teams are near full strength for this game, with a few exceptions.

The Clever Boys must do battle without Henrico Botes, Dillon Sheppard and Onismor Bhasera, who are all injured. Ajax have Aidan Jenniker and Toriq Losper sidelined with injury, while the biggest blow to their hopes will be the absence of in-form forward Erwin Isaacs, who is on loan at Ajax from Wits and as such is indelible to play on Friday.