Wits said goodbye with utter dignity
An era came to a close in the game in this country on Saturday evening when Bidvest Wits played their final match ever, a 3-1 win over Polokwane City, to secure them a fourth place finish in the Absa Premiership.
The news of the sale of the Wits franchise, after 99 years in South African football, sent shockwaves through the sport, with Limpopo outfit TTM taking their place in the top flight next season. Wits’ demise was particularly shocking as apart fron their longevity in the game, they have been one of the most successful teams in the country over the past few seasons, winning the title as recently as 2016/17.
“Obviously it is a sad feeling to have played the last game against Polokwane,” Wits captain Thulani Hlatshwayo said in an interview with the South
African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA) yesterday.
“There were a lot of emotions around the team. I have been here six years, it was not a good feeling,” added the Bafana Bafana skipper, who did not want to comment on a move to Orlando Pirates next season.
“We are happy to be back home with our families, to take out minds off football,” he said.
Wits could have wilted in the bio-bubble once news of their sale came through. Instead, Gavin Hunt’s side were one of the better teams in August, losing just two of 10 games.
“As we went into the bubble I said to the players to give everything to finish as high as possible, and make everyone proud” said Wits COO Jonathan Schloss, in the same interview with SAFJA.
“It was not about the players only, it was for everyone in the support team and I can’t commend the players enough. The way they performed after the announcement (of the sale) was phenomenal. A lot of people said we were going to get hammered and that we wouldn’t have players and for the team to do what they did shows the community in the side and the character of the team. From the players to the kit man, to the coaches, to the office staff, it is testament to what we have in this group,” said Schloss.
The most special moment for Wits was surely when they captured a first-ever league title in 2017, pipping Mamelodi Sundowns to the post.
Sundowns success this season has reinforced just how hard Pitso Mosimane’s men are to topple from the summit.
“Gavin is a coach who pushes you to your limit, If you look at previous seasons, we have always managed to stay in the top two or the top four. You could see the character in the team in winning our first league title.”