“Neo’s been injured the whole preseason but you’re right [about his potential],” Hunt said, before checking himself and adding, in reference to some of his previous raves about young players that were blown out of proportion, “I shouldn’t say these things.”
He continued: “He’s a good player. He’s a good player. But he’s 17.
“I’ve seen him train. He played in a friendly last Tuesday — that was the first time I’d seen him.
“You must also remember I’ve only been here for four weeks. I had two weeks’ preseason, I came in late, just trying to look at players and obviously the younger ones. And a lot of these players didn’t even train.
“This boy was injured, I saw him in one game, I said, ‘Oh my God’ — that’s all I said.
“He’s a decent player. He trained twice last week and to throw him into a game where King Zwelithini Stadium is 120m by 80m — it’s not like a normal pitch.
“It’s not 68 by 105 — you can fit three teams on that field. It’s a problem.”
Hunt has returned to a SuperSport where budget cuts mean the coach has had to work with young players. Matsatsantsa have battled early in the 2022-23 Premiership — without a win in four matches (two draws and two defeats) they are in 15th place going into their game against fifth-placed Richards Bay (7.30pm).
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WATCH | ‘I said oh my God’: Hunt excited by SuperSport’s 17-year-old Rapoo
Image: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images
Gavin Hunt believes he has unearthed a young player with big potential in SuperSport United’s 17-year-old left-back Neo Rapoo.
Rapoo earned rave reviews for SuperSport’s under-23 team that finished second in the DStv Diski Challenge in 2021-22.
Matsatsantsa coach Hunt said with his first-choice left-back, the hugely experienced Zimbabwean Onismor Bhasera, injured, he might give the teen a senior debut soon.
The coach said he was considering fielding Rapoo in SuperSport’s DStv Premiership game against promoted Richards Bay FC on Wednesday night. The defender’s recent return from injury last week and large size of Umlazi’s King Zwelithini Stadium might weigh against such a decision.
“Neo’s been injured the whole preseason but you’re right [about his potential],” Hunt said, before checking himself and adding, in reference to some of his previous raves about young players that were blown out of proportion, “I shouldn’t say these things.”
He continued: “He’s a good player. He’s a good player. But he’s 17.
“I’ve seen him train. He played in a friendly last Tuesday — that was the first time I’d seen him.
“You must also remember I’ve only been here for four weeks. I had two weeks’ preseason, I came in late, just trying to look at players and obviously the younger ones. And a lot of these players didn’t even train.
“This boy was injured, I saw him in one game, I said, ‘Oh my God’ — that’s all I said.
“He’s a decent player. He trained twice last week and to throw him into a game where King Zwelithini Stadium is 120m by 80m — it’s not like a normal pitch.
“It’s not 68 by 105 — you can fit three teams on that field. It’s a problem.”
Hunt has returned to a SuperSport where budget cuts mean the coach has had to work with young players. Matsatsantsa have battled early in the 2022-23 Premiership — without a win in four matches (two draws and two defeats) they are in 15th place going into their game against fifth-placed Richards Bay (7.30pm).
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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