SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt has opened up on the problems of three players unable to face Mamelodi Sundowns this weekend.
Matstsatsansa come into the Tshwane Derby for their MTN8 opener on Sunday without a win since Hunt began his second tenure with the club in the 2022/23 season.
And they will be without Grant Margeman, Thabang Sibanyoni and Ricardo Goss, with all three on loan from Mamelodi Sundowns and holding a clause that makes them ineligible to face their parent club.
Added to the unavailability, several key players have been ruled out through injury, including captain Onismor Bhasera, which prompted Hunt to admit they need new signings.
Fast 5G home wifi delivered to you fast from rain.co.za, proud sponsor of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.
“I have great belief in this team, obviously we had a goalkeeping problem, now we can’t play the goalkeeper [Pule] next week and then drop [Chigova] and then not have [Goss] in the next two games against Sundowns,” Hunt said after their 0-0 draw with Orlando Pirates on Sunday.
“I can’t play another [two] of those players out there [Sibanyoni and Margeman] because they can’t play against Sundowns, so there’s another problem, any other problems?”
When pressed on the situation ahead of their MTN8 clash this weekend against Masandawana, Hunt admits he was not involved in the deals and says it could be due to when he won the league in 2016 with the likes of Cuthbert Malajila, Mogakolodi Ngele and Ejike Uzoenyi on loan at the club.
Hunt Explains Surprise Parker Decision
“It’s not for me to say, the only reason why [the rule was implemented at Sundowns] is because we won the league five years back with two players from there,” he said the Premier Soccer League offices on Thursday afternoon.
“You know what happened there. So that law got changed very quickly. From a personal perspective, it doesn’t make sense to me, because it’s players that are never gonna play there. But anyway, I don’t want to get involved in that.
“I wasn’t trivia to the agreements, so before I came here, those things were done. But it is what it is, obviously, it’s very strange when you get town rivals, I don’t think Manchester United will sell playing to Manchester City or Atletico Madrid to Real Madrid.
“But it happens in South Africa where a lot of, from my time, in the first time, we sold a whole team to them and now there are more players gone, it is what it is.”
Mastsatsansa travel to Loftus Versveld for their MTN8 opener to face the champions on Sunday afternoon at 18h00.
Hunt Singles Out Sundowns’ Title Rivals
