Freese: We need to cut out mistakes
Gavin Hunt is looking forward to seeing just how much progress his new-look Bidvest Wits have made when they take on Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 final on Saturday at Mbombela Stadium.
Sundowns and Wits finished as the top two in the league last season, and both have made impressive starts to the new campaign.
Wits have seriously strengthened their squad as they aim to close the gap on Pitso Mosimane’s Brazilians, but Hunt seemed keen to remain in the role of the underdog when talking to Phakaaathi yesterday.
“We were the top two last season, but we were a good mile behind in second,” said Hunt.
“It is fitting the top two got into the final, but we are under no illusions about what is in front of us. The most important thing is to see how far we have come. We are trying to build a new team and what better way to test ourselves than in a cup final. Let’s see where we are, they (Sundowns) have a much more settled squad of players.”
Wits had an unexpected day off on Saturday after their league game against Orlando Pirates was postponed due to security concerns. Hunt, however, does not see this as an advantage.
“We needed a game, we don’t want to rest. It is only right that our game against Ajax this week has been called off, we would have had to get to Nelspruit from Cape Town on Thursday. But that (the Pirates match) is a huge disappointment. We wanted to play, to give us momentum.”
Wits might have two players with a specific desire to get one over on Sundowns this weekend – Mogakolodi Ngele and Cuthbert Malajila were both deemed surplus to requirements and went to Wits as part of the swap deal involving Sibusiso Vilakazi.
“I think professional footballers are past all that,” said Hunt, however.
“It is like me playing against my old teams, you worry about where you are now.”
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane, meanwhile, has been impressed by the way Wits have kicked off the new season.
“They are a good team, a strong team,” he said.
“They have started well, I think they are the team on form now, not only playing but scoring. But a final is a final, you have to have cold nerves and have experience, and I think we have experience. But they are a good team, they have brought in good players.”
Kick-off in Nelspruit is at 5pm. Highlands Park coach Alan Freese (below) says he knows the kind of threat Cape Town City FC represent, but says his side has been preparing well for tonight’s Absa Premiership encounter at Makhulong Stadium.
“It is not going to be an easy game for us, they have been doing well so far and we haven’t. But we have worked very hard at training to prepare for the game, we are ready for them,” said Freese.
“We are at home and we should make it a point that we use it to our advantage. It is just that in our last games we have been making silly mistakes, which have cost us. But we have learned from them.”
Highlands, who were promoted to the Premiership after winning the play-offs last season, have not had a good start to top-flight football, beating Baroka in their opening league match but losing their next two games to Kaizer Chiefs and Polokwane City.
After three games, Freese’s men find themselves in 12th place, an uncomfortable place in the early stages of the season.
Freese will need veteran Striker Collins Mbesuma to get those goals for him, along with former Jomo Cosmos striker Charlton Mashumba. The pair have looked dangerous inside the box – Mbesuma has two goals already this season while Mashumba also netted against Polokwane City.
A win against Eric Tinkler’s City will have to be fought for, however. The team have enjoyed a decent start to the season, registering seven points following their wins over Polokwane City and Ajax Cape Town in the Cape derby.
The likes of Bongolwethu Jayiya – who scored the winner against Ajax – and Aubrey Ngoma have been fantastic for the club, while skipper Lebogang Manyama has been played as a supporting striker to Judas Moseamedi.