Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt defended his decision to play right back Siyabonga Nhlapo, even though the player had just been robbed of R50000 at gunpoint last week.

Nhlapo may not have been in the right frame of mind, and his week worsened when he was sent off in the defeat to Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 second-leg semifinal at Bidvest Stadium on Sunday.

He was shown a straight red for a crude challenge on Toriq Losper, then veteran striker Nathan Paulse converted from the resulting spot kick in the 25th minute, and Wits did not recover from thereon.

Hunt was his usual grumpy self after the defeat on a 2-1 aggregate. He did very little talking as his side missed out on playing in the final.

"All I've got to do is trust and that's what happens.

"We chatted and he said he is fine to play and I said 'okay, that's fine'. You live and die with those decisions. But there's no excuse. We lost. I don't think there was a game after that (the red card).

"Our red card was a red card. But in the first leg we know their goalkeeper (Anssi Jaakkola) should have gone as well. Decisions did not go our way in the two legs."

Now Wits have only three trophies to play for this season and after signing the likes of Daine Klate and Elias Pelembe, their management will be expecting the three-time league winning coach to deliver.