Tembo up against his mentor Hunt
Coaches gear up to settle the score
Gavin Hunt will come full circle with his former player whom he brought to the country 20 years ago when Bidvest Wits take on SuperSport United tomorrow.
Hunt was the coach at Seven Stars in 1998 when he signed tough-tackling Zimbabwean defender Kaitano Tembo from Dynamos FC.
So close was their working relationship that they went on to work together at SuperSport as coach and assistant. Having been handed his first opportunity to be head coach recently, Tembo will go head to head for the first time with Hunt at the Bidvest Stadium (8.15pm).
“I am happy for him that he has got a chance to be in charge and apply all the experience he has gained over all these years,” Hunt said.
“Kaitano is a great guy with an unbelievable character. I brought him when I was at Seven Stars and when I went to SuperSport I brought him in again, so he’s fantastic. He will do well as a coach.”
The university outfit have had a blistering start to the season as they top the table with three wins from three games.
In midweek they registered a 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates, a team who thrashed them 4-0 just five months ago.
After his worst season as a coach, Hunt for the first time failed to lead a team under his tutelage to a top-eight finish.
“It’s the first time as a player or as a coach I haven’t been in the top eight since 1981. I am so upset about that.
“Last year, we had 11 points after 15 games and now we have nine after three games. It’s crazy this game, and I don’t think we have played any better than last year. But we had a good pre-season and had a rethink. We brought in the right players.”