WE almost forgot about Bidvest Wits.
Blame the Fifa international break, the Bafana Bafana distraction and the growing speculation that national team coach Shakes Mashaba is on the ropes and might have very well took charge of his final match on Tuesday night in the 1-0 win against Egypt in the Nelson Mandela Challenge at the Orlando Stadium.
Yesterday, when Wits opened the gates to their training session in the build-up to Saturday night’s MTN8 first-leg, semi-final clash against Cape Town City at Bidvest Stadium, a quick glance at the Clever Boys’ healthy and strong squad helped jog the memory.
This is a team that got off to the best possible start this season, beating Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in their Absa Premiership league opener on August 23 and following that up with a downing of Orlando Pirates, with the same scoreline, four days later to boot the Buccaneers out of the MTN8 and deny their new coach Muhsin Ertugral an early trophy in his tenure. Both matches were played at the compact Bidvest Stadium, a venue Gavin Hunt, who is in his fourth year in charge at Wits, would love to see turn into a fortress.
“If people think we had two difficult games to start the season with, then I can tell you that this will be a lot harder,” Hunt said. “This team (Cape Town City) have got a lot to prove, they are a very hungry team, with great desire, they have done very well in the transfer market and, having watched their opening two matches, Eric (Tinkler) has organised them very well. We are under no illusions about how difficult it is going to be to play over two legs. Last year we thought playing away first was a good thing, but we lost the second leg to Ajax, who went on to win the cup.”
There has been a massive turn over of players at Wits since Hunt has been coach, but even he has admitted his team is the strongest it has ever been during his time there. The club did some late business on transfer deadline day, getting Sifiso Myeni back after he spent nearly five years at Pirates until Ertugral felt he was surplus to requirements.
“We have goals that we have set for ourselves internally and then there is media pressure. I know people are sick and tired of hearing this, but we are really going to take it one game at a time. You never really know with South African players and teams, they are quite moody,” the coach said.
In as much as Hunt believes, from his own experiences as a player and several other examples in recent years, that winning the MTN8 is usually a bad omen for the rest of the season, he is eager to see Wits finally lift a trophy.
“I think at this point in time, anything for this club is good, even if we win the milk cup on a Sunday morning.
“We can’t pick and chose. Sundowns, Chiefs and Pirates, they can pick and chose, not this club,” he explained.
“What we have got to do is give ourselves a chance. We did that in the league the last three years even though the points at the end of the season didn’t tell the true story, we gave ourselves a chance. It is hard to break through, but once you do, like with anything in life, it becomes easier.”
Follow Mazola Molefe on Twitter@superjourno
The Star