Hunt unhappy over playing home games in Polokwane
"It's disappointing because I saw the announcement that Chiefs play Sundowns at Lucas Moripe," commented Hunt.
Gavin Hunt, head coach of SuperSport United during the DStv Premiership 2023/24 match against Richards Bay at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane on Saturday. (Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix)
SuperSport United might have opened their new DStv Premiership account with a 2-0 win over Richards Bay at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
ALSO READ: How Khune’s height hindered overseas move
However, the club’s head coach Gavin Hunt is not pleased with having to play their home games in Polokwane due to the unavailability of Lucas Moripe Stadium.
The venue was no longer deemed fit to host PSL matches towards the end of last season with Matsatsantsa a Pitori having to move their games away from their traditional home.
“A home game takes one day but now our game takes three days because you have to travel a day before (the game),” Hunt said.
“When we play at home, we don’t camp because we just go straight to the game because that suits us and our mentality but (playing) here it’s three days.”
Interestingly, the much-anticipated encounter between Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday is scheduled to take place at the Lucas Moripe Stadium and Hunt is baffled by the decision.
“It’s disappointing because I saw the announcement that Chiefs play Sundowns at Lucas Moripe,” commented Hunt.
“It’s the biggest crowd you will have but we couldn’t play there but anyway, I don’t know how these things work.”
Meanwhile, The Brazilians coach Rulani Mokwena has welcomed the return to the Atteridgeville stadium with Loftus Versfeld Stadium undergoing renovations.
“We would have loved to have played at Loftus but it’s a good thing that they are upgrading the pitch and we will have a good facility with regards to the surface and from a playing perspective, it suits us,” he said.
ALSO READ: Campbell stars on debut as SuperSport down Richards Bay
“It was difficult because we tried to use FNB Stadium which is a field that we think would suit us a lot better than Lucas Moripe. But it is what it is and we have to settle down a bit for the next two months and do the best that we can to adapt and acclimatise to Lucas Moripe.
“The good thing about that is that it’s close to our people and supporters. When we play in Atteridgeville which is where a lot of our support is, we can get people coming to the ground to give us energy and support and that is for me the biggest positive.”
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.