Gavin Hunt wants grieving Stellies to lift themselves for 'big occasion' against Kaizer Chiefs

The customary chirpiness that welcomes anyone to Stellenbosch FC’s training centre at the Lentelus Sports Ground was visibly absent on Tuesday morning. 

Instead, it was replaced by a gut-wrenching sombreness after the passing of 20-year-old Diski midfielder Jeandre Gaffoor this past weekend. 

Suddenly, for a club that places a high emphasis on family values, they have been hit right to the core yet again - only three years after the tragic murder of defender Oshwin Adries.

Even though Stellies are embroiled in a relegation battle where livelihoods are literally at stake and face mighty Kaizer Chiefs at the DHL Stadium on Wednesday (7pm start) in a Nedbank Cup tie, their usually no-nonsense head coach Gavin Hunt admitted “sometimes there's more important things than football.”

Hunt did not want to be drawn into the “very sad” and “tragic” matter for a lengthy period of time, but his genuine sincerity shone through during these dark times and only wished that his players could deliver “a good performance” in honour of the late Gaffoor. 

“If it brings any little bit of extra motivation or feeling about the place, we certainly will try and remember him and try and win a game of football,” the veteran coach said.

The 61-year-old though faces an almighty battle to lift the spirits of a side that have also lost their last two matches - both to Algerian outfit CR Belouizdad in the CAF Confederation Cup.

In contrast, Chiefs are riding high after consecutive victories in the same competition and will be heading to Cape Town full of confidence. 

Hunt, though, feels that facing the Mighty Amakhosi at what is expected to be a packed DHL Stadium could just be the tonic that breathes fresh energy into his charges. 

“I think the most important thing is there's always a good atmosphere there, there's a big crowd, and as a football player you always want to play in those arenas,” Hunt said.

“If you look at Sunday, my goodness, it was really quiet and then you get an arena like on Wednesday, so I think players generally enjoy these big occasions. Who excels and who can show their true ability is always the question because it takes different types of players to play in that arena.”

Chiefs have traditionally been a bogey team for Stellenbosch under previous coach Steve Barker with the Amakhosi winning 10 of the 17 encounters between the two sides. Stellies have only been victorious on three occasions, whilst four matches have been played to a stalemate.

Hunt, who has previously coached Chiefs, believes the clubs are currently on two different paths with Stellies fighting for survival in the League, whilst the black-and-gold are potential title contenders, although he feels a once-off knockout fixture could work in his team’s favour.

“If you look at just watching from the outside and looking in at Stellenbosch, there have certainly been a lot of red cards and disputed goals. Maybe they just didn't have a bit of luck, but sometimes you need a bit of luck,” he said.

“I look at it differently maybe. I look at it as a nice big challenge for us as a club and I look forward to it. I think if you look at their players, they're much more settled than we are.

“Being a Cup game obviously gives it a little bit more as well because it's really just one chance.

“Obviously we have looked at our position, what we think, and try and set ourselves up to let them hopefully worry a little bit more about us. But we certainly need to play and don't play with a fear of what they can bring. They're a good side.

“As I said, they're much more settled now. They're much more free-flowing. Once you've won a few games like they've won, you get a little bit of confidence back in the team, which they have done.

“The league position doesn't lie. I always say the league position doesn't lie. The Cups can sometimes cloud you.

“Sometimes you can have success in Cups. But your league position is where it doesn't lie, I always say. And they're doing very well. They could win the League this year.”