Hunt playing things cool
OPTIMISM: SMALL STEPS IN A VERY DEMANDING SEASON
Hectic fixture schedule taking a lot out of Chiefs with a squad of their size.
Gavin Hunt is not entertaining the idea that Kaizer Chiefs are back on track, even though they managed a second DStv Premiership victory in a row for the first time this season, when they beat Cape Town City 2-1 away from home on Saturday afternoon.
Having been just a point above the relegation zone a week ago, Amakhosi had surged into the top eight by Saturday evening, with victories on the road against
AmaZulu and then City, where they raced into a two goal lead, but were left hanging on by the final whistle.
“Not in South Africa,” said Hunt when asked if Chiefs had turned a corner.
“All over the world, and even more in South Africa, anyone can beat anyone. Our home record is disastrous this season... we are back at home on Tuesday (tomorrow) and will try to turn it around. It takes a lot out of a squad of our size.”
Chiefs will play Tsakhuma FC tomorrow, part of a packed January of Premiership games, before their Caf Champions League group stage campaign starts in February.
Hunt put Chiefs’ rearguard action at least partly down to the fact that City had extra rest for Saturday’s game, having not played in midweek.
“You could see we have been
playing every two or three days, and they haven’t,” he said.
“We had to dig in once we got the two goals, it was one of those performances that is not pretty, but if you look at the league table, when we were at the bottom, people were saying a lot of things. We have to keep going and try to get as many points as we can.”
Chiefs took advantage of some sloppy defending from City to take the lead through Nkosingiphile Ndlovu and not long after a swift counter attack saw Happy Mashiane get his first goal for the club.
“We got a foothold early, it does help, especially away from home, I came here last year (with Wits) and lost 2-1 and it was the other way round. We camped in their half and tried to score but they won 2-1. We played two or three days ago, our legs were going, in the last few weeks we have been in Cameroon, in Angola.”