SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt and his defending Absa Premiership champions face a testing week, but Hunt is taking the pressure in his stride while other challengers to their crown are
falling.
On Wednesday, United travel to the Chatsworth Stadium to play AmaZulu and on Saturday they face Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus.
Chiefs and AmaZulu drew 0-0 in a hard fought Premiership clash at the Chatsworth Stadium. The result eased Usuthu’s relegation worries but dented Chiefs title hopes.
Hunt, however, is not reading too much into the result.
”All I will ask of my players is to play to their true potential like we did in beating Ajax Cape Town 2-0 on Saturday and we will finish the week on a happy note,” he said.
United sounded a warning when they virtually knocked out Ajax from the title race. The Pretoria based champions have amassed 40 points with Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in the chasing pack on 34 points, and the Urban Warriors still on 32 points.
Downs, Amakhosi and Bucs are still in the title hunt and waiting for United to slip up. But the United-Chiefs clash could be a six pointer.
After dropping a point against AmaZulu, Chiefs cannot afford to drop more points and a win over the champions would narrow the gap at the top of the table. Amakhosi coach Muhsin Ertugral knows that this could be crucial to his dream of winning his first Premiership title.
Of the two sides his players face this week, Hunt reckons AmaZulu will be the most difficult opponents. The United coach explained: ”With Chiefs I know what to expect. I’d rather play the bigger sides because of that. While I have a healthy respect for AmaZulu and their coach Clive Barker, their problem is they blow hot and cold and are unpredictable. But they are well organised and will pose problems.”
Last season Usuthu hammered United 2-0 in Durban to halt United’s charge towards winning their first Premiership title.
Said Hunt; ”AmaZulu have shown they have quality and are a good side. But I need to keep getting results and not worry about the other teams around us. If we keep picking up points then we will retain our title.”
Hunt will try and tie down AmaZulu striker Dumisani Ngwenya who has scored seven goals so far despite missing big chunks of the season through injury.
Sundowns were smacked 2-0 by bottom-of the-log Bay United at East London’s Absa Stadium on Sunday to further prove there is little difference between the title challengers and the relegation candidates.
Said Hunt: ”Bay beating Sundowns was a mind boggling result and shows how tough and competetive this season has become. No team can
take anything for granted, especially us.”
Hunt said his players were handling the pressure and he had a solid squad with depth. ”We are in front and that is the way I want it to stay until the end of the season.” – Sapa