Rotation out of the question after red card
Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt faces a tricky job to manage his squad as the Clever Boys play three away games in seven days, starting with Saturday’s Absa Premiership visit to Golden Arrows in Durban.
Wits then travel to Mauritius to take on Pamplemousses SC in the second leg of their Caf Champions League qualifier next Wednesday, with the tie not quite put to bed after Saturday’s 2-0 first-leg win at Bidvest Stadium.
After that they go to the Mother City on February 24 to take on Cape Town City, who have beaten them four times this season.
Hunt was disappointed that Wits did not manage to finish off the Mauritians on Saturday, typically wasting a host of chances, while he was also upset by Keegan Ritchie’s (right) red card, which means he will not be able to rest regular leftback Sifiso Hlanti.
“Now we go there with one leftback, only 2-0 up and in the middle of two big league games,” said Hunt.
“We have Hlanti but the problem is that we have three games in seven days and we want to rotate.”
Hunt had some sympathy for Ritchie after he was sent off for violent conduct on Jean Remy, who was also later sent off for a second bookable offence, though he also called Wits leftback’s behaviour on debut “stupid”.
“I think it boiled over because the referee didn’t handle it properly. The 22 (Remy) should have been sent off earlier and it boiled over,” said the Wits coach.