Samir Nurkovic. Pic: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Gavin Hunt has admitted that Kaizer Chiefs “need” Samir Nurkovic back on the field sooner rather than later and is hopeful they will have him available for the 2nd leg of their Caf Champions League clash with Primeiro de Agosto in Angola on January 6.
READ MORE: Chiefs huff and puff and still can’t score
Amakhosi were only able to play out a goalless draw in the first leg at FNB Stadium on Wednesday, missing a number of chances, which has been the story of their season under new head coach Gavin Hunt. Chiefs have scored just ten times in 12 matches in all competitions.
Chiefs now have it all to do in Angola is they are to reach the Champions League group stages, which they have never managed to do up to now.
Nurkovic, who was a key member of Ernst Middendorp’s Chiefs side that challenged for the DStv Premiership title last season, had a groin operation and missed the start of the 2020/21 campaign. He is now back in training, but contract negotiations appear to have stalled the Serbian’s return to the team – he is still yet to play a minute for Chiefs under Hunt, with plenty of speculation linking him with a move to Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
“He is training,” Hunt told reporters after Wednesday’s game, “so hopefully we can get him on the field in the new year. I hope so because I think he would have had a few (goals) by now. Last season when Chiefs started so well the goals came from him, we need that.”
Hunt has been impressed with his side’s improvement in attitude since he took over and he believes they are playing better, even if results are not forthcoming – Chiefs are currently 13th in the league with just one top flight win in eight games.
“I think the biggest thing is the attitude (improvement),” said Hunt.
“We were in a unique situation, it was the same for everyone with the (COVID-19) epidemic, but with them (my squad), to come so close (to the title) and lose, it was a bit of a shock for everyone. It took time for them to get their heads around it. And there were no ins and outs in terms of transfers (Chiefs are serving a Fifa transfer ban), you could have freshened the place up very quickly.
“But you can see (improvement), (at the start) when I looked through them you could see through their heads and out the back. Now we are at least seeing matter, it is coming slowly. Wins help, they haven’t happened but we are certainly playing better.”
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