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Onyango on Hunt link to Chiefs: 'It will be a new chapter for him to manage a bigger team'

Gavin Hunt (coach) of Wits during the pre/post Match TV/virtual press conference of the Absa Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits on August 12, 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Gavin Hunt (coach) of Wits during the pre/post Match TV/virtual press conference of the Absa Premiership match between Kaizer Chiefs and Bidvest Wits on August 12, 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Image: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango believes that veteran coach Gavin Hunt can help resuscitate sleeping giants Kaizer Chiefs if he lands the vacant high-profile job at Naturena.

Chiefs sacked combustible German mentor Ernst Middendorp a few days ago and Hunt is available on the jobs market after the status of his former club BidVest Wits was sold to Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).

Hunt has emerged as the popular choice for the hottest coaching jobs in the country‚ but Algerian Adel Amrouche has also been linked with the vacancy.

“He [Hunt] is a fantastic coach‚ if he is given a chance to coach Kaizer Chiefs he has the ability as person and a coach‚” said Onyango who won three successive league titles with Hunt at SuperSport United.

“It will be a new chapter for him to manage a bigger team than the ones he has managed before. But football is the same‚ the mentality remains the same and I believe that he will drive them to wining trophies. He has won trophies with SuperSport and Wits and we know the quality that he has as a coach.”

Onyango said with Hunt at the helm at Chiefs‚ the league would become stronger.

“Going to a bigger team‚ there will be huge anticipation from fans and he will be driven by the size of the club. That will be something else and good luck to him.

"It’s always good to have a competitive coach like Gavin in the league. When you look at the games between Wits and Sundowns‚ it was always been competitive. He wants his players to give their all at all times and it will be good for football in general.”

Onyango also reflected on the seven league titles he's won at Sundowns and credited to his current coach Pitso Mosimane and Hunt for his success.

“Working with both coaches brought the best out of me and I am grateful for what they have done for me and my family all these years since I arrived in SA.

"Of course winning seven titles‚ which includes three in a row with SuperSport and three in a row with Sundowns‚ is massive for me. It would have been fantastic to win another one with Sundowns but I was on loan at Wits. But sometimes in life you have to go low to come back stronger.

“This is one of the things that really pushed me because when I went to Wits on loan‚ I came back to Sundowns and started playing regularly.

"When I went to Wits‚ the team won the league but I am happy because I learned a lot of things at Wits and especially from an experienced and competitive player like Moneeb Josephs.”