United put Hunt at ease with away draw
GAVIN Hunt admits he is a coach who rarely praises his team but he says his SuperSport United side gave one of the best showings under him in drawing away in Luanda against Petro Atletico in the first leg of their African Confederation Cup secondround tie last month.
He says the side will be going “flat out” to finish the job in the second leg at Atteridgeville on Saturday.
Home advantage makes SuperSport favourites to advance to a meeting with either ENPPI of Egypt or Kenya’s Gor Mahia in the third round next month.
Playing in the pan-African competition is having a huge effect on the club’s form too, asserts Hunt, whose side are now unbeaten after 13 games after Tuesday’s goalless draw at BidVest Wits.
“It’s having a huge impact on us because we are having to learn to play football another way. Our football in SA will only improve if we get further in these competitions and we prioritise them. I know there are club owners who don’t want to be there — it’s too expensive, too draining on the players. They would rather win the Nedbank Cup than the CAF Cup. Me? I’d rather win in Africa,” says the straight-talking Hunt.
“That’s where the problems with our football lie. We will only go forward when we can play different ways in different countries.”
Hunt says his side should have won in Luanda after producing a polished performance against many odds. “I don’t give the team praise often but that is one of the best performances in terms of where we were playing and who was in their team. We were much better, to be fair,” he says.
SuperSport are following in the footsteps of Black Leopards, who last season drew inspiration from their successful run right up to the fourth round of the Confederation Cup.
In the domestic league, Hunt says there has simply been no competition for log leaders Kaizer Chiefs.
Hunt knows what it takes to win the league title, having done it three times in a row, in 2008, 2009 and 2010, but he has often labelled his team “poor” in almost every encounter this season.
“There’s no one that’s been able to match Kaizer Chiefs, maybe with the exception of No 2 (Orlando Pirates, who were seven points behind before last night’s games), but the rest of us just haven’t been good enough this season,” Hunt said. With Mazola Molefe