Wits players deserve a little bit more credit
JOHANNESBURG: Wits mentor Gavin Hunt collected his fourth PSL title as a coach on Wednesday might, so he should know what he’s talking about when it comes to top-quality players.
But he’s not holding his breath believing that one of his Clever Boys is going to walk off with the PSL Footballer of the Year award, despite the team’s success.
Wits, newly-crowned champions, have shown their endurance in the marathon that is the league title race. .
Four-time championship-winning mentor Hunt – others in that club are Gordon Igesund and the late Ted Dumitru – always seems to miss out on the big PSl award.
“Never, even when we won the league three times with SuperSport United, the Footballer of the Year would come from a team that finished eighth,” Hunt said, recalling how, when Matsatsantsa won their maiden championship in 2008, Orlando Pirates midfielder Teko Modise was crowned the Footballer of the Year, an honour more lucrative than Player of the Year, which went the way of Elias Pelembe, a SuperSport player.
Hunt says he’s never been one to moan about personal accolades, but felt some of his players deserved a little bit more credit than what has come their way.
There is also debate as to whether Hunt might have to battle it out with Cape Town City’s Eric Tinkler for the Coach of the Year gong despite guiding Wits to the championship and his counterpart, while his side’s journey this season has been remarkable, looks set to finish in third.
“Maybe all these awards don’t work for us,” said Hunt. “What I do know is that we have three or four candidates, but I won’t name them.”
It’s tough to speculate who would be up for an individual award at Wits. While they have finally ended a 96-year drought to bag the championship, Hunt has not necessarily relied on the same players throughout, chopping and changing, but to good effect.
He also argued that Daine Klate (pictured), who took his tally of league medals to six on Wednesday night, was incredibly underrated in the country.
The 32-year-old was in the thick of it when SuperSport won three consecutive championships in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (all under Hunt). Ditto when he moved to Orlando Pirates and they won the treble in 2011 and 2012.
“My relationship with him is my size eight foot up his backside,” the coach said.
“And he waned a little bit this yea... but he came back and on the day we win the league he scores a goal like that (the second in a 2-0 win over Polokwane City). Daine should not train Monday to Friday, but just come on Saturdays, in my opinion, because then he’s better. He lost his way a little bit off the field, but now he’s okay. I have told him that he’s done more for me than anybody in my life. But if he doesn’t keep doing it, then he’s out. He has to maintain the hunger because if he loses that, he won’t play.”
Meanwhile, Hunt looks likely to sign a contract extension at Wits, after chief executive Jose Ferreira quipped on Wednesday night that “the coach can stay as long as he wants to and leave when he wants to”. Hunt is due to meet with his bosses soon to discuss the way forward.