“There is no doubt about it, Sundowns are streaks ahead of everybody,” Gavin Hunt declared, “so we are just going to have to face it and try and put out a way of playing and try to be competitive and, hopefully, the rest will take care of itself.”
If Hunt’s words sound resigned to defeat, then take care to remember that the acclaimed coach and his SuperSport United team have the unenviable task of facing the current undisputed leaders of SA football, Mamelodi Sundowns, on Sunday at Tuks Stadium (kick-off 6pm) in a MTN8 quarter-final.
And that clash will be the first of back-to-back Tshwane Derbies, with a second bout a week later in a DStv Premiership encounter. So, Hunt and Co will have to be at their best if they are to tame the best team in the land, not once, but twice within seven days – a tall order considering the form Matsatsantsa currently find themselves in.
Hunt’s return to the Capital has not gone entirely to plan and SuperSport have struggled to get out the blocks so far this season. They finally secured their first, all-important win of this new season on Wednesday when they beat Richards Bay 1-0, adding that favourable result to two draws and two losses so far.
Gavin Hunt speaks to the media before @SuperSportFC #MTN8 clash against @Masandawana ...
— Morgan Bolton (@FreemanZAR) August 25, 2022
Here he discusses the early form of his young team@IOLsport pic.twitter.com/hdK9NxZh1I
Sunday’s clash, then, will be a massive test for Hunt and his young, developing team but as Hunt pointed out on Thursday at the PSL offices, there is an caveat that can aid them.
“(Sundowns) have a way of playing,” said Hunt, “and it is there for everyone to see. They don’t have to change anything.
“They can put out any XI and I think they would come first, second and third in the PSL. It doesn’t really matter from that perspective. We know that they certainly have qualities that are of a much higher level than everybody else.
“There is a famous word in football – the most famous word in football called ‘But’ ... But … When anyone talks about football or they say anything there is always that famous word, so you never know.”
Hunt further explained that if his team are to defeat their cross-town rivals - the MTN8 defending champions - this weekend, then it will not be done through brute force but rather a bit of subterfuge.
“If we have a football match, we will lose," the 58-uear-old coach said. "So, how we go about it takes a lot of game intelligence and that can only be practiced and explained.
"We have to do things a bit different and that’s through finer things that we can try and do. We have an idea, but I mean we need to implement those things and that takes intelligence, “Hunt reiterated. “It takes a little bit of know-how, a little bit of humility. If you understand football, then you need to be humble about these things.
“If we say, ‘right, we are going to have an open game with you,’ we will lose,” Hunt said sharply.
SuperSport United will be without the services of Thapelo Maseko, which Hunt described as a “huge blow” due to injury, as well as Thabang Sibonyoni, Grant Margerman and Ricardo Goss – the latter two duo to being on loan from Sundowns.
@FreemanZAR