Hunt Explains Mabasa Bench Selection Against Sundowns
Stellenbosch coach Gavin Hunt has revealed the tactical reasoning behind his decision to bench star striker Tshegofatso Mabasa during Wednesday’s 1-1 Betway Premiership draw against Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Cape Winelands side stunned the Brazilians at Loftus Versfeld, scoring a dramatic late equalizer that denied the hosts the opportunity to leapfrog Orlando Pirates at the summit of the table.
The result serves as a massive boost for Pirates, who recently dropped four points in an increasingly volatile title race.
The “False Nine” Strategy
Mabasa, who eventually entered the fray to coolly slot home the equalizing penalty, was sacrificed early on for a more compact defensive shape. Hunt was blunt about his decision to deviate from a traditional lineup.
“I don’t want to sound clever — other coaches might sit here and try to — but I’ll give you a straightforward football explanation. I felt it was the best way to go,” said Hunt.
“We wanted our players to be on the right side of the ball, not the wrong side. A striker often ends up on the wrong side of the ball, and then we look to break into space. We wanted their centre-backs to have possession because, nine times out of ten, they will give it back to us.
“It’s not about being clever. We had a clear plan, and I’ve said it before — we’ve beaten Sundowns many times without a striker. We’ve done it before, and we did it again. It’s simply a way of trying something different.
“We have to do things differently; we can’t play our normal game against a team of this quality, or they’ll beat us.”
Hunt added that his side deserved the result as they continue their push for a top-eight finish.
The Cape Winelands outfit currently sits ninth on the table with 32 points after 25 matches.
“I thought we created chances and found space to attack, which we did,” Hunt said.
“I think what we were trying to do worked perfectly. Our goalkeeper had only one save to make the entire game, and for an away team, that’s very good. I believe we deserved what we got here.
“They had more of the ball — I think they had nine chances and we had seven. The stats will show that. I think we had the same number of corners. Football isn’t about playing the same way and trying to do the same thing every time.”
