SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt wants to use the MTN8 competition to test how ready his side is to challenge for the DStv Premiership title.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori will face Stellenbosch in the quarterfinal of the competition at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday, looking to progress to the next round of the competition.
But while Hunt said the priority should always be in the league competition, the MTN8 will be a good test to see how far they will go this season.
“Cup games I think take the pressure off when you have new players because for me, the league matches are the pressure fixtures because that’s more important,” Hunt said.
“League is always important anywhere it should be. But there is a high priority in cups in SA because it is lucrative, so clubs look from that perspective and obviously, the players generally always have a lift.
“And you can always have an underdog in a cup competition coming through like we have had many times in all the different cup competitions. I don’t think it is going to be different as it comes at the right or wrong time. We don’t know ... it’s always at the start of the season.
“And it gives you a good idea of where your team is. When I won this cup last time [2016/17 with now-defunct Bidvest Wits] I knew we would win the league after that because our team was ready. It is good for the players and it is good for the team.”
Hunt also feels Stellies will give them a test as they are a difficult side to play against. “They will always be committed. They got a hell of a result last week [1-0 win against Orlando Pirates], obviously not so good last night [Wednesday, losing 0-1 to Polokwane City],” he said.
"They are always going to be difficult to play against, it’s a very different type of the game you will play against them. They will wait for you a little bit and pounce, so you have to be careful how you set your team.
“We are always a team that likes to go forward and want to score, but some teams like that and sit and wait for you. So you have to be careful, but if we scored our goals in the last two games, we should have been good, but we are trying and we will see.”
‘Stellies a difficult side to play against’
MTN8 ‘a good test’ for Hunt to check club’s readiness
Image: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt wants to use the MTN8 competition to test how ready his side is to challenge for the DStv Premiership title.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori will face Stellenbosch in the quarterfinal of the competition at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday, looking to progress to the next round of the competition.
But while Hunt said the priority should always be in the league competition, the MTN8 will be a good test to see how far they will go this season.
“Cup games I think take the pressure off when you have new players because for me, the league matches are the pressure fixtures because that’s more important,” Hunt said.
“League is always important anywhere it should be. But there is a high priority in cups in SA because it is lucrative, so clubs look from that perspective and obviously, the players generally always have a lift.
“And you can always have an underdog in a cup competition coming through like we have had many times in all the different cup competitions. I don’t think it is going to be different as it comes at the right or wrong time. We don’t know ... it’s always at the start of the season.
“And it gives you a good idea of where your team is. When I won this cup last time [2016/17 with now-defunct Bidvest Wits] I knew we would win the league after that because our team was ready. It is good for the players and it is good for the team.”
Hunt also feels Stellies will give them a test as they are a difficult side to play against. “They will always be committed. They got a hell of a result last week [1-0 win against Orlando Pirates], obviously not so good last night [Wednesday, losing 0-1 to Polokwane City],” he said.
"They are always going to be difficult to play against, it’s a very different type of the game you will play against them. They will wait for you a little bit and pounce, so you have to be careful how you set your team.
“We are always a team that likes to go forward and want to score, but some teams like that and sit and wait for you. So you have to be careful, but if we scored our goals in the last two games, we should have been good, but we are trying and we will see.”
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