Why Hunt will be a success at Chiefs even with the transfer ban
When Kaizer Chiefs announced that the three players who were on loan at Swallows FC last season would again spend another year with the newly-promoted side, I must admit that I felt like the club was sabotaging Gavin Hunt.
Gavin Hunt has revealed how Bobby Motaung convinced him to join Kaizer Chiefs. (Pic: Kaizer Chiefs)
With their transfer ban appeal still verdict still pending, I thought Amakhosi would hold on to Ayanda Rorwana, Itumeleng Shopane, and Given Thibedi because they might not be able to make any new signings if the verdict comes back negative.
But then I remembered that this is Gavin we are talking about, uMakadebona wempela (a real survivor who has been through so much). And I remembered how touched we all were when videos of him coaching Black Leopards in the dusty grounds of Venda a long time ago appeared. I joked with a friend that he was probably the only white man in Venda at that time. But he looked so relaxed.
That tells you he lives for football and can adapt to any situation as long as there is football, and maybe like me, a beer close by (yes, I have also seen videos of how he celebrates with a bottle of his favourite brew which I will not mention here because it’s not their advert) He is probably one of those that would have died had Covid-19 not slowed and football not returned.
I am thinking that Hunt has already seen some of the Amakhosi youngsters or heard about them through his former MDC coach at Wits and now his trusted right-hand man at Amakhosi, Dillon Sheppard – of some of possible stars in the Chiefs development ranks who he will give a chance to.
He is a survivor and knows how to get the best out of any player. I have heard stories of how he has a go at you at training and later invites you for ‘coffee’ where he explains why he is so hard on you and how he believes you can be better than you think. It is for this reason that I think he will be a success.
The one thing however that Hunt will have to change a little is his inability to express himself. He is at a big club now whose supporters want to hear what he has to say after every game – whether they won, lost or drew – he has to say something. His antics of giving one-liners at post-match interviews must end.
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