Hunt’s Clever Boys crowned new league champions
BIDVEST Wits became league champions for the first time in their history last night in the finest style of professionalism that has been the great South African club’s hallmark of their 96-year history.
With Mamelodi Sundowns drawing 2-2 with Maritzburg United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, a James Keene strike in the fourth minute and another by Daine Klate, in the 61st, were enough for Wits to wrap up the 2016-17 Absa Premiership titleship with a 2-0 win over Polokwane City, with a game to spare.
The PSL might not have had its final-day drama on May 27.
But the finish 10 days earlier was still nothing less than spectacular.
Spectacular for a fine Wits team who often played pragmatic football in 29 matches.
And spectacular for the atmosphere at the Bidvest Stadium for anyone who was there.
The Clever Boys are worthy champions for the class of their lineup, the firm educated hand of their coach, Gavin Hunt, and excellence of their structures.
Much will be made of Sundowns’ distraction and manic schedule from becoming last year’s African club champions.
But the points on the board tell their own story. Only a robust, excellent squad assembled at Wits could have taken the title from Downs’ superstars, and Hunt can take a bow at a fourth PSL title, equalling Ted Dumitru and Gordon Igesund’s record.
Hunt’s procurement of his old guard – players like Elias Pelembe and Klate through other clubs in the past two seasons – and following his treblewinning at SuperSport United, where he won three successive titles from 2008 to 2010, always seemed it might give Wits the edge to become champions.
It said much that three of those stars – Klate and Pelembe on the wings and Bongani Khumalo at centre back – started on Saturday night.
Hunt’s Wits can be given flack for at times displaying stodgy football.
Their aggressive, front-foot game plan has been very difficult for teams to contend with.
It was the same for Sundowns at the Bidvest grounds just more than two weeks ago, when they lost 1-0.
Last night, though, in their all-white with blue trim, and with the awesomeness of their starting lineup, and their technically proficient football, onlookers might have seen them resembling the PSL’s Real Madrid, with Sundowns representing Barcelona.
Wits played the first half like a team stung by their nearchoke in their last game.
This was a 3-1 defeat away against Free State Stars, when a late equaliser by Baroka prevented Mamelodi Sundowns from drawing level on points.
The Clever Boys had their precision perfect, and played with the intensity of a side with the league in its nostrils.
They started with a training ground opening goal by Keene, glancing in a perfect header from a Pelembe cross after only three minutes and 15 seconds.
Wits struck again in the second half, with Mogakolodi Ngele passing to Klate on the left, who slotted past George Chigova – an apt goal for a star who now has six league titles.
EPL result
Southampton 0 v Manchester United 0