Coaches bemoan international break

Gavin Hunt (right) and Cavin Johnson have both complained about the long wait before their next league matches, as the season goes into an international break after this weekend’s MTN8 semifinals.

Bidvest Wits beat AmaZulu 3-0 on Wednesday night, an impressive victory and a fourth in five league matches this season, leaving them top of the embryonic Absa Premiership table.

The Clever Boys, however, must now wait until September 15 to play an away game at Maritzburg United, while Usuthu have an even longer break, with their next league match at Kaizer Chiefs on September 22.

“We all know the fixtures, and how they were handled, we just have to understand, it is frustrating but we say the same thing every year,” said Hunt.

“Maybe we must start the season later … we have a bit of momentum and two and a half weeks is a long time. I think it is very difficult, do you train, do you not train? When there are long breaks you never know what to do.”

Johnson, meanwhile, was upset at the break even though Usuthu had been on the end of a 3-0 loss.

“Now we have to rest for a month to play one game in September, which is not acceptable,” said the AmaZulu coach.

Hunt, meanwhile, was happy enough with the victory, a good response after losing 1-0 to SuperSport in Wits’ previous home game.

“Most important was to bounce back … we had a bit more energy tonight, we could have made the game safe in the first half, we didn’t and then they came at us … we didn’t keep the ball for long periods and that hurt us, but we would have taken the result before the game.”

Wits’ attack has certainly performed far better than last season, with Mxolisi Machupu and Gift Motupa both racking up two league goals already. Scottish striker Simon Murray even came off the bench against AmaZulu to get his first goal for the club.

“He (Murray) works hard, I like him … he never stops running and trying. Even his goal tonight wasn’t pretty but it went in and it could break the ice,” said Hunt.