Hunt has sympathy for SA coach

STUART Baxter’s scramble for players to represent South Africa in the African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers is well documented, and Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt said he felt sorry for his Bafana Bafana counterpart.

Bafana drew 2-2 with Zambia in a Chan qualifier in East London at the weekend, and Baxter’s charges will have a huge mountain to climb when they play the return leg away from home on Saturday.

But the Zambians are the least of Baxter’s worries as he expects to lose as many as eight players in the coming days, and he could be forced to field a makeshift side in Ndola.

The Chan tournament is not played on dates designated by Fifa for international matches and Baxter is pretty much at the mercy of the clubs.

“I feel sorry for Stuart‚ I mean he is struggling‚” Hunt said in his trademark forthright manner.

“It’s just a situation that is crazy isn’t it?

“You have your national team and you cannot get players. I mean, that’s crazy. That’s just crazy.”

Baxter had to go down on his knees and beg for players when Bafana played a two-legged Chan qualifier against Botswana last month‚ even though the games were played during the PSL offseason.

The coach and his South African Football Association employers are well aware that their problems are just beginning and should Bafana manage to get past the Zambians and qualify for the tournament itself‚ they will have an even bigger headache trying to put together a team to represent the country.

The tournament will be played in Kenya between January 11 and February 2‚ right in the middle of the PSL season.