Seema and Hunt react to ‘home’ draw in Carling Knockout

It will be a case ‘whose home ground is it anyway’ when Polokwane City play SuperSport United in the last 16 round of the new Carling Knockout competition.

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The new cup competition replaces the old Telkom knockout which was last played in 2019 when Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned champions.

Seema’s Rise and Shine were drawn against Hunt’s Matsatsantsa a Pitori who have played most of their ‘home’ games at Polokwane’s Peter Mokaba Stadium.

“It will be a difficult game, SuperSport United are cup specialists. We know that coach Gavin Hunt has experience of winning the league and cups,” City coach Lehlohonolo Seema said at launch of the knockout cup on Tuesday.

“We will play in Polokwane and that is the only thing that will make us happy by not traveling. One would say SuperSport United are playing away but I don’t think so because they’ve been playing a lot of their matches there now. They have even played more games than us, despite being from Polokwane.

“They have played an extra Caf (Confederation Cup) game in Polokwane so they know the field better than us. So we’re playing away and it will be a difficult game.”

SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt has welcomed the return of the competition that was first played in 1982 known as the Datsun Challenge. It has been played under different sponsorship names over the years.

The prize money for the winners is yet to be confirmed but the player of the match in this season’s edition will pocket a staggering R100 000.

“These competition are great for clubs. It gives you extra games. It goes back to my days of playing in the Datsun Cup and double headers at Ellis Park and I played in those days,” Hunt said.

“This competition goes back a long way and I’m glad they brought it back. I’m glad Black Label have come in and we’re really honoured, privileged and lucky to have a competition that has put in money and I’d rather be a player with R100 000 for man of the match.”

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Hunt is also wary of coming up against the Limpopo side that has done well on their return to top-flight football. They are in fifth position after nine rounds of DStv Premiership matches.

“They have done well, they have come right and they have a few good signings,” Hunt concluded.

“I signed Douglas (Mapfumo) four years ago at Wits and he has come into his own now. They have a good mixture of experience and youth  They are difficult to play against.

“They are a hard-running team and the more they have coaching changes, they more they keep fighting so it won’t be an easy game”