Hunt’s Wits a different side to last term

Whisper it quietly, but Bidvest Wits might just be back, and ready to launch another Absa Premiership title challenge.

Wednesday night’s 1-0 win at Orlando Pirates was their third on the trot, a far cry from last season, when as champions they were bottom at Christmas, and in the end only just survived relegation.

“Last season we had 11 points after 15 games and now we have nine after three games,” said Gavin Hunt, after an own-goal from Gladwin Shitolo was enough to hand Wits a win in a tight game against the Buccaneers.

“It is a crazy game, I don’t think we have played any better than last season, but that shows you how football works.”

Wits have certainly improved in terms of finding a cutting edge, with six goals in their opening two league games against Free State Stars and Kaizer Chiefs about as far a cry as you can get from a side that netted 27 times in the whole of last season.

Wednesday’s match was a far edgier affair, but it was substitute Haashim Domingo (left), one of several new signings to have impressed, who provided the key moment in the Pirates game, showing skill and tenacity to get to the byline, and then zipping in a cross that deflected off Shitolo and past Siyabonga Mpontshane.

The 22-year-old Domingo has returned to South Africa after a spell in Portugal with Vitoria de Guimaraes.

“Haashim is the best player since Steven Pienaar to come out of the Ajax (Cape Town) academy,” said Hunt.

“Players like that get lost in our national teams, hopefully he can kick on and play a few games.”

The game against Pirates also showed a healthy knack that can prove a mark of champions – picking up three points even when you don’t play particularly well.

“If we are honest, the players are not happy with the performance but in two or three weeks the game will be forgotten and it doesn’t matter how well you play ... we played well our first two games and tonight was not as pretty, but as I say, it is about the result.”