Hunt to Orlando Pirates rumours are ‘pure lies’

Rumours linking Gavin Hunt to Orlando Pirates are just rumours, with the club having full confidence in German coach Josef Zinnbauer, a source at the club has revealed.

READ MORE: Kaizer Chiefs striker attracts Belgian interest.

With Hunt now jobless following the sale of Bidvest Wits, the 56-year old four-time Absa Premiership winner has been linked with the Buccaneers, as well as their Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

“Those (links with Pirates) are just pure lies, there is no way that the club would let go of coach Zinnbauer because Gavin Hunt is available. He has done wonders at the club, everyone is happy with him. He is respected at the club and everyone loves him. He has managed to make some players who were down to believe in themselves again, so you would would never want to let if someone like him. People should stop talking like that (Zinnbauer will be dismissed), it’s good thing that it never bothered him and look at what he has achieve so far,” said the source.

Zinnbauer was appointed as Pirates coach last year in December, with the club in dreadful form, following a poor string of results under Rulani Mokwena, who took over when Milutin Sredojevic surprisingly quit early in the 2019/20 campaign.

Under the German’s leadership, Pirates climbed the table, and ended up finishing third, securing themselves a place in next season’s Caf Confederation Cup. The Buccaneers won ten league matches with Zinnbauer in charge, having won just four in the whole of the rest of the campaign.

He can also be credited with revitalising new signing Gabadinho Mhango, who finished the season as joint top scorer in the Absa Premiership, with 16 goals.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.