Gavin Hunt did not say it aloud, but the SuperSport United coach is still hurting that his team are playing in the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup instead of the continent’s premier club competition – the Champions League.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori were beaten to that coveted Champions League spot last season by Orlando Pirates, who finished as runners-up in the DStv Premiership, just three points above SuperSport, who had to settle for third place.
Interestingly, SuperSport are still involved in the continental competition and were actually victorious on Wednesday night – the 2-1 win over Al Hilal Benghazi in Polokwane, their first of the group stages – to give themselves a slim chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Pirates, on the other hand, have long been knocked out and did not even get to the mini-league phase.
Not that it is making Hunt feel any better. As he looked ahead to their clash with the Buccaneers at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday(6pm kick-off), he referred to last season’s final standings with pain evident in his voice.
“They finished second, above us last year. They pipped us right there at the end. It left a bitter taste. And they now got one of our best players from last year – Patrick (Maswanganyi) and he’s their mainstay, so it is what it is.”
Hunt used superlatives to describe the Pirates squad and their coach, Jose Riveiro. “They’ve won six or seven (matches) in a row… They’ve got players in every position – it doesn’t matter who goes out and who comes in. They have an excellent squad and a good coach.”
Hunt has a bunch of untested youngsters to call on as replacements for his injured seasoned campaigners, particularly defensively.
“It’s no secret (that) defensively we have got problems. We’ve had problems all year… It’s another game, and we will try and come out there unscathed and have a go … we always have a go. So, we’ll play properly and try and do the best we can with what we’ve got.”
They did this to great effect in their last two matches, which they won 2-1, and nothing would please Hunt more than a third victory.
SuperSport chalked up their first points of the Confederation Cup group stages with victory over Al Hilal Benghazi at the Peter Mokaba Stadium where they will host Pirates, a win that got Hunt smiling for a change. The goals came from Selaelo Rasebotja and Etiosa Ighodaro.
“The win was important, seeing that we hadn’t won in the group.
“We played with good energy and good determination under very difficult circumstances. And also we brought on young players and all of them were good, but two of them were outstanding last night, so that’s good.”
Meanwhile, defender Ime Okon shares the same view as his coach about the opposition. “Pirates come with a huge squad of very good players. We just need to be ready for them.”
He’ll be keen to have a good showing as he seeks to make the final Bafana Bafana squad for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast.
“I will try to stay in the team and fight for my position,” Okon says.
IOL Sport