Maybe we’ll play the Under-19s in TKO semifinal‚ says Wits coach Hunt

The disruptions to putting out a consistent lineup are haunting Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt‚ even as his team has clawed some semblance of form and entered a semifinal.

Wits reached the semifinals of the Telkom Knockout with Saturday’s 1-0 win against Baroka FC and Hunt even made some attempt at saying that perhaps it was not a good thing that they reached the stage after the quarterfinal win at Bidvest Stadium.

But such is the coach’s ultracompetitive nature it was hard to believe him.

Wits were far from fluent in their dispatching of Baroka – a fourth win for the league champions against the Limpopo team since Bakgaga’s promotion at the start of last season.

Hunt’s team took their lead through Amr Gamal in the 11th minute‚ then should have killed the game with a string of chances in the opening 20 minutes.

They largely laboured after that.

“I thought the first half‚ they had a chance‚ but come one‚ we could have killed it. You can’t have as many opportunities as we had and not‚” Hunt said.

“So we’re disappointed at not putting away so many chances. But‚ all in all‚ they had two or three chances [in the game].

“And we were slack. We would be better if we were three or four-nil up. But we weren’t.

“I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing to get through.

"It may be a bad thing because with our squad‚ to have three games in six days‚ including Sundowns and Maritzburg [and a semifinal]‚ I don’t know‚ maybe we’ll play the Under-19s in the semifinal.”

The TKO semis are on the weekend of November 18 and 19‚ following the coming week’s Fifa international date.

Wits follow that with league games against Mamelodi Sundowns at Bidvest Stadium on Tuesday‚ November 21 and Maritzburg United at Harry Gwala Stadium on Friday‚ November 24.

Wits went to three wins from four games‚ even if they are still far from fluent.

They have suffered‚ especially‚ in central defence‚ where on Saturday night Hunt appeared to come up with a good solution employing Nazeer Allie next to Thulani Hlatshwayo‚ with Reeve Frosler at right-back. But Allie limped off injured.

“There you go. It looks like a hamstring. A hamstring is three or four weeks. I mean‚ we can’t keep a team together‚” Hunt lamented.

“Listen‚ we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We are where we are because of the results. But circumstances haven’t been good.

“But I think on the field it’s about keeping a team together that we can work with‚ that we know were successful for us last season. And it’s been not there.

“I mean Gabadinho Mhango [suspended for six games]‚ Eleazar Rodgers‚ Daylon Claasen [out injured].”

“There’s a big break now. But it’s not going to help us much. We’re going to get one or two back.

"Mhango is six games‚ Claasen is on a brace‚ so its four or five months; Ben Motswari’s in a brace‚ ‘KK’ [Kobamelo Kodisang] is in a brace.”

Encouraging for Hunt‚ though‚ was that the main source of his central defensive nightmares showed signs of being resolved as stalwart Buhle Mkhwanazi finally returned from injury with an added time cameo as a substitute.