JOHANNESBURG - Bidvest Wits fielded four academy players in the Caf Confederation Cup last year and their early elimination was no surprise.
On Saturday, when they beat Saint-Louisienne from Reunion to set up the club’s biggest continental experience with Al Ahly in a match that will determine who goes into the group stages of the Champions League, veterans Daine Klate and Sifiso Myeni, men who know the Egyptian side all too well, were among the goal scorers.
What a difference a year can make.
Myeni getting the nod to start at the weekend was expected given that he has been a bit part player since arriving late in August. Klate, pictured, being in the line-up was yet another indicator of how important he is to Hunt - to not only conquer the domestic league, but to prove to his detractors that Caf tournaments aren’t distractions to his focus here at home.
“It’s important for everyone who gets involved to bring their part,” said Klate. “We have good depth. Even in our first game this year against Ajax we had a very strong bench. We were 2-0 up when we started making changes and we went on to win 5-0. So, the competition is important and everyone should get a chance.
"If a player is going to come in, he has to make that position his own and that is a good thing for us. When we make changes, we are still good enough. We have a backlog of games and it's important for guys to come in and not weaken the team when they do. When the coach makes changes, we would like to think the team is going to be on the same level. Seeing that we play on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the coach has to rotate.”
That has certainly been the argument throughout this 2016/17 campaign, that Wits are genuine title contenders. And their overall quality suggests that they might even give the Champions League a go, especially with Klate and Myeni in the side.
“It’s not just a two hour flight to Egypt. It is eight, and it will be important for all of us to look after ourselves,” said Klate, who, along with Myeni, played for Pirates in the final of the 2013 Champions League against Al Ahly.
"The Buccaneers were beaten 3-1 on aggregate, with the North Africans winning their eighth title. “From now on, training is probably going to be minimal, which means those not playing are going to have to put in extra work as well to be able to be ready on the same level as the regulars. After that, it’s one game at a time.”
The next match is a home Premier League fixture against bottom of the table Baroka FC tomorrow night as Wits play catch up. Their Caf commitments left them with three matches in hand and with just two points behind log leaders Kaizer Chiefs. Klate said struggling Baroka will not be a banana skin, but the Clever Boys won’t be complacent.
“We will obviously have to shift our focus back to the domestic league again and consolidate our position at the top,” the winger explained. “The games in hand are putting us off a little bit at this point in time, so we can’t really judge where we are. We will accept nothing less than three points (Wednesday).”