Mamelodi Sundowns’ defeat to Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday night might have come as a surprise to some but not to BidVest Wits coach Gavin Hunt.
Hunt said he expected the recent international break to have an impact on clubs around the world‚ especially those that are teeming with international players‚ and it is for this reason that he expected Chiefs to beat Sundowns and Crystal Palace to also do the trick against English Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Palace beat their London rivals 2-1 at Stamford Bridge while Chiefs brushed past PSL champions Sundowns courtesy of a similar scoreline.
‘‘I would have put my house on it‚” Hunt said on Monday.
‘‘Yes‚ I would have put my house on Chiefs beating Sundowns.
‘‘If you look all around the world‚ the hardest game for any coach is after the international break.
‘‘And the better the sides that have got more people away (on international duty)‚ they come back and they have been lying in the hotel rooms‚ eating three meals a day.
‘‘They are not at their clubs and they have not been training. So I backed Crystal Palace‚ Kaizer Chiefs I backed also.
‘‘Especially bigger teams that have got more players away‚ they get affected more by these things.
‘‘Wait until the next Fifa break when we have the same situation‚ I will always back the underdog.”
Hunt said the international break also had an impact on his club and this is why Wits struggled before eventually beating Platinum Stars 2-0 at BidVest Stadium.
‘‘That’s why we also battled on Saturday as well. We had a lot of players away but I knew that we were at home and we just had to score first‚” Hunt said.
‘‘We were a little fortunate because they had their chances but when we scored first I knew that the game was over.
‘‘But we battled on Saturday.
"There was no rhythm in the team‚ there was no continuity and there was no synchronisation and all these big words you wanna use.
‘‘It looked like we were strangers and we were only 10 or 12 days away because of the international break.
‘‘And I tell you the next time it happens again it will be the same thing. It’s unreal.”
Wits face Jomo Cosmos at Tsakane Stadium in a Nedbank Cup match on Tuesday night and Hunt said he expects another tough day at the office. — TMG Digital/TMG Sport
'I would have put my house on Chiefs beating Sundowns,' says Wits coach Gavin Hunt
Mamelodi Sundowns’ defeat to Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday night might have come as a surprise to some but not to BidVest Wits coach Gavin Hunt.
Hunt said he expected the recent international break to have an impact on clubs around the world‚ especially those that are teeming with international players‚ and it is for this reason that he expected Chiefs to beat Sundowns and Crystal Palace to also do the trick against English Premier League leaders Chelsea.
Palace beat their London rivals 2-1 at Stamford Bridge while Chiefs brushed past PSL champions Sundowns courtesy of a similar scoreline.
‘‘I would have put my house on it‚” Hunt said on Monday.
‘‘Yes‚ I would have put my house on Chiefs beating Sundowns.
‘‘If you look all around the world‚ the hardest game for any coach is after the international break.
‘‘And the better the sides that have got more people away (on international duty)‚ they come back and they have been lying in the hotel rooms‚ eating three meals a day.
‘‘They are not at their clubs and they have not been training. So I backed Crystal Palace‚ Kaizer Chiefs I backed also.
‘‘Especially bigger teams that have got more players away‚ they get affected more by these things.
‘‘Wait until the next Fifa break when we have the same situation‚ I will always back the underdog.”
Hunt said the international break also had an impact on his club and this is why Wits struggled before eventually beating Platinum Stars 2-0 at BidVest Stadium.
‘‘That’s why we also battled on Saturday as well. We had a lot of players away but I knew that we were at home and we just had to score first‚” Hunt said.
‘‘We were a little fortunate because they had their chances but when we scored first I knew that the game was over.
‘‘But we battled on Saturday.
"There was no rhythm in the team‚ there was no continuity and there was no synchronisation and all these big words you wanna use.
‘‘It looked like we were strangers and we were only 10 or 12 days away because of the international break.
‘‘And I tell you the next time it happens again it will be the same thing. It’s unreal.”
Wits face Jomo Cosmos at Tsakane Stadium in a Nedbank Cup match on Tuesday night and Hunt said he expects another tough day at the office. — TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos