Can Stars douse the title fever at Wits and pull the rug from under the PSL leaders' feet?

08 May 2017 - 12:03
By Njabulo Ngidi

The trip to Bethlehem has never been kind to Gavin Hunt and his Bidvest Wits.

But with the Absa Premiership within touching distance for the Clever Boys‚ the three-time league winning coach believes that this could be their time to return with all three points from Goble Park.

Wits visit their hoodoo team Free State Stars on Wednesday sitting at the summit of the league‚ three points ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns with three games to go.

But Ea Lla Koto has a habit of dashing Hunt’s dreams.

They eliminated Wits from the Telkom Knockout this season.

It was the fourth successive time that Stars had dumped Wits out of a knockout competition with Hunt in charge.

Wits haven’t won in Bethlehem in four years.

“It has never been kind to us‚” Hunt said.

“But maybe it is our time now. We will go there with a positive mind frame. They are a hard side to play against there.

"They are fighting for their lives and we are fighting on the other side of the table.

"We are under no illusion what to expect there. I have been going there for 35 years‚ I know what it’s like.”

It’s no wonder then that Hunt hinted that the club will not release Reeve Frosler and Phakamani Mahlambi to the national Under-20 team that’s going to the World Cup in South Korea.

Amajita leave for Korea on Wednesday‚ the same day that Wits take on Stars.

“What do you think?” was Hunt’s response if as the coach he would like to release the pair after he said that the final decision rests with management.

“We have a big game on Wednesday and another big game next week (against Polokwane City)‚” Hunt said.

“We have three big games coming up. It’s in our hands. But we have to be careful. We have to enjoy it. That’s the most important thing.

"I have been in these situations. If you don’t enjoy it‚ it becomes a grind. We know that we have three huge games.”

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport