Promising star Campbell needs to improve – Hunt

Despite being one of the standout performers this season in the DStv Premiership, SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt feels promising youngster Shandre Campbell still has a lot of things he needs to improve.

Campbell, 18, produced another impressive performance during SuperSport 3-1 penalty victory over Cape Town City in the Nedbank Cup last 32 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday to help his side advance to the next round.

The youngster walked into the team as a replacement for Thapelo Maseko at the beginning of the season and grabbed his opportunity well, scoring three goals in seven appearances while creating three assists.

On Tuesday, he opened the scoring against the Citizens in the first half, before Khanyisa Mayo equalised on the stroke of halftime.

"Basically, any player needs to be versatile. That was a secret for the club always. We had four players who were very versatile and can play [anywhere]," Hunt told the media during the post-match press conference.

"We moved him in the second half, certainly in a different position, but he will have to get better playing between the lines, if you want to call it like that. We don't want to play him in one area. He played in different positions, but there are a lot of things that he will work on. But he is young, so we have to give him time.

"We can't really take him out because we don't have anybody else and that's the problem for us. We have a young one in the Diski [Oratilwe Moloisane], but he will take a bit more time."

SuperSport have shifted their focus to the CAF Confederation Cup match against Modern Future at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday (3pm) and Hunt hinted he could play his Diski (reserve) team.

Meanwhile, City coach Eric Tinkler was not pleased with his side's performance against SuperSport and said his players didn't follow the instructions.

"SuperSport are always a team that is difficult, especially under coach Gavin Hunt. The brand of football they play is very direct. They play with a lot of aggression and a lot of intensity. Winning the second ball is extremely important," Tinkler said.

"You have to deal with a lot of crosses that are coming into the box. And we made the players aware that we have to deal with that.

"We didn't do it in the first half in particular and the goal came from that. Disappointed because it is something we spoke about, we worked on and we knew and to concede like that."