Kaizer Chiefs coach Hunt: ‘Video analysis the most overrated thing in the world’
Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt has played down any advantage he might have from intimately knowing seven Orlando Pirates players after having been in charge of them at former club Bidvest Wits‚ even if he knows “where they live”.
Pirates are Chiefs’ Soweto derby MTN8 semifinal first leg opponents on Saturday at Orlando Stadium. Bucs have signed four players from now defunct Wits after the club’s sale to TTM went through at the end of the 2019-20 season – Terrence Dzvukamanja‚ Thulani Hlatshwayo‚ Deon Hotto and Thabang Monare.
They joined Ben Motshwari‚ Gabadinhho Mhango and Vincent Pule‚ who had all previously starred under Hunt at Wits before signing for Pirates.
Hunt was asked about his inside knowledge of the core of Bucs counterpart Josef Zinnbauer’s line-up – only injured Monare of the seven ex-Wits players has not featured in Pirates’ three games this season.
“I don’t think it makes any difference. Yes‚ sure‚ I know all of them. I signed all of them‚ so I know them very well‚” the Chiefs coach said.
“But I don’t think it makes any difference. It’s like doing video analysis of the opposition. I think it’s the most overrated thing in the world.
“Because you can talk all day‚ talk all day – the player’s got to do it on the day. [Give them] one or two things here and there. Less sometimes. Sometimes the player’s got to take the responsibility.
“But sure‚ there are seven of them [Hunt’s ex-Wits players] there [at Pirates] at the moment. I think six or seven of them are playing. So‚ yeah‚ I know their ins and outs‚ where they live‚ everything.”
Chiefs are coming off a 1-0 DStv Premiership win against Chippa United at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday where Hunt fielded a number of fringe players‚ and Amakhosi struck the post four times and could have run out 6-0 winners.
Before that Chiefs were poor, losing 3-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Pirates battled to a second 1-1 league draw in succession on Wednesday at Orlando against Stellenbosch FC‚ following Saturday night’s stalemate by the same scoreline against AmaZulu in Durban.
MTN8 semifinals –
First leg
Saturday:
- Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs (Orlando Stadium‚ 3pm)
Sunday:
- SuperSport United vs Bloemfontein Celtic (Lucas Moripe Stadium‚ 3pm)
Second leg
November 7:
- Bloemfontein Celtic vs SuperSport United (Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium‚ 3pm)
- Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates (FNB Stadium‚ 3pm)