‘The teams are much closer and that’s why the points tally is much lower because teams are beating each other,’ Hunt said.
The countdown to the new Betway Premiership season is on and SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt has explained why Mamelodi Sundowns keep dominating the domestic league.
Sundowns raced to the league title in the previous campaign, losing only once in 30 matches as they claimed an unprecedented seventh championshi on the trot. The Brazilians finished 23 points ahead of second-placed Orlando Pirates and they will once again be the team to beat in the 2024-25 season.
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With four league titles to his name, no one is better placed than Hunt to give expert insights into why the gap between Sundowns and the rest of the chasing pack keeps widening. The former Bidvest Wits coach reckons that Sundowns run away with the league as a result of the so-called smaller teams nicking points from each other.
“The teams are much closer and that’s why the points tally is much lower because teams are beating each other. I mean, Sundowns in the last couple of years haven’t lost in 16 or 17 games or whatever so they’ve had a great start,” Hunt said when asked about the points difference.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori will be looking to finish higher than their seventh position on the log standings last season. Hunt has added some much needed steel to his team with the acquisition of experienced defenders Nyiko Mobbie and Pogiso Sanoka as well as winger Vincent Pule from Pirates.
“We have to bring in too many (players), we’ve got nothing here and we’re struggling. We lost (Etiosa) Ighodaro and (Bradley) Bradley which is a big blow,” said the 60-year-old who is expected to also rely on his academy graduates.
“Same again, we’ll obviously try and groom them and work on a budget so we’ll try. Our youth academy has served our club very well for the last 25 years, I mean you have to look around the league and all players that came from our club so that’s what we do.”
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The league starts Saturday with a game between Royal AM and Cape Town City but United will only get their programme underway on September 17 with a Tshwane derby against city rival Sundowns who will be in Caf Champions League action at the weekend.
