Gavin Hunt – referee delay ‘really disappointing’

The season has been suspended since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

READ MORE: Clean bill of health for Cape Town City after second round of COVID-19 testing.

The South African Football Association announced on Tuesday that the season could only restart at the in the first week of August to give match officials time to get ready.

Wits, along with Mamelodi Sundowns, have more league games to play than the rest of the Absa Premiership (nine) and must also play a Nedbank Cup semifinal against Sundowns, while a Nedbank Cup final appearance would take the total number of games they would need to play in August to 11.

“How are we going to play 11 games in four weeks?” said Hunt on Wednesday.

“If we could start now at least we would have six weeks.”

The Premier Soccer League confirmed on Tuesday that that they were ready to start the campaign on Saturday July 18, but were now “unable to do so due to the unavailability of match officials.”

Hunt also questioned Safa’s excuse about the match officials.

“They had plenty of time after lockdown to go out and run,” added the Wits coach.

“I don’t know what the reason is but it is really disappointing, this is a professional organisation, and we are waiting on people like this.”

Wits are back in training in groups of five or six, and have tested all their players for the coronavirus in preparation for the season resumption.

“It has not been easy but we just have to get on with it, we are in the second week now … all the testing is done, we are all ready to go, but we are being held up … it is ridiculous.”

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