Gavin Hunt admits Stellenbosch FC haven't trained in a month, yet they still found the grit to stun Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium. Photo: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Image: Itumeleng English Independent Media
Stellenbosch FC continued their steady climb up the Betway Premiership standings with a hard-earned victory over Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday night.
The 2-1 result came at the end of a bruising period for Stellenbosch, who had been knocked out of the CAF Confederation Cup and, more recently, the Nedbank Cup. For head coach Gavin Hunt, the win was less about performance and more about survival.
Speaking after the match, Hunt pointed to a demanding schedule that has left his squad physically and mentally stretched, but also credited their response in the second stanza.
“I thought we had a magnificent second half for a team that’s played so much and been all over the show. So, all in all, it helps us because of our situation to get us away from the bottom of the league.”
Hunt was candid about the toll continental football has taken on his group, suggesting that Stellenbosch’s ambitions may have outpaced their current capacity.
“I don’t think Africa has helped us as a club at the moment this year. That’s where we struggle, really, where we had to go and what we had to do. We’ll try to move on to another game on Friday, believe it or not.”
The veteran coach revealed just how disrupted preparation has been, with recovery often taking precedence over tactical refinement.
“We haven’t trained for a month. We haven’t done any training. So, it’s pretty much fixing up teams, patching up and then going again. So, I’m proud of the players, but certainly the first half wasn’t nowhere near what it requires at this level
“I could see the effects coming to the game; we were really down. But you know, sometimes football gods work in strange ways."
After a difficult first round of the campaign, Stellenbosch now sit 11th on the Betway Premiership log with 19 points from 17 matches — five wins, four draws and eight defeats.
While the pressure has eased, danger has not fully disappeared. Stellies are still only five points clear of bottom-placed Magesi FC. Hunt, however, dismissed any suggestion that the hosts underestimated his side, though he admitted the circumstances may have shaped expectations.
“I can’t talk on their behalf but that suggestion didn’t come into my team talk, what I did say was maybe they’d try to get three points today and maybe a point on Saturday because we may have looked like easy pickings judging from what we’ve been through.”
In a season defined by congestion, travel and recovery rather than rhythm, Stellenbosch’s win was less about style and more about substance.
And for Hunt, it was a timely reminder that sometimes, stepping away from the continental spotlight can be a blessing rather than a setback.