Coach Hunt refuses to transfer his top players

Gavin Hunt (below) continues to insist that neither Thulani Hlatshwayo nor Thabang Monare will be sold before the transfer window shuts on August 31, even given Bidvest Wits’ financial struggles at the moment.

Budgets have been cut at Wits this season, with members of staff leaving, and the Johannesburg club relying almost exclusively on free signings.

The Clever Boys, however, are keen to hold on to their best players, at least partly because of the difficulty in replacing them at this stage of the window.

Wits were beaten 1-0 at home to Baroka FC on Tuesday night, a poor follow-up to their 3-0 victory at AmaZulu on Saturday.

“We can’t buy anyone, we don’t have the money for wages either,” said Hunt.

“It’s the economy in South Africa, people are losing their jobs, everyone is cutting back and it’s understandable. These are tough times, and the football industry is one in which you pull the plug first. We are okay, I know things have been cut and people have left for financial reasons, but I have to worry about what is happening on the field.”

“The boys (Hlatshwayo and Monare) are fine. It is disturbing to open the football papers and read stories about them leaving, I talk to them and I always give them the best advice. I think I have sold more players as a coach than anyone else, value-wise. We can’t lose them now, if we hit the skids maybe we will have to sell someone, but it is not that bad.”

Wits have received some better news on leftback Sifiso Hlanti, meanwhile, whose knee injury is not as serious as first thought. The Bafana Bafana defender could return in a month or so.

“It was more a cleaning out (of the knee), he is basically jogging again, twisting and turning will take a bit of time. I think another month,” said Hunt.