Hunt In Pain Of Losing Stars To Sundowns

SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt has expressed his profound frustration over the perennial exodus of his players to arch-rivals Mamelodi Sundowns.
Hunt, currently in his second stint with SuperSport, has seen his team’s potential repeatedly undermined by the transfer of key players. This trend has undeniably bolstered Sundowns’ dominance in South African football.
Reflecting on his initial tenure with the Tshwane giants, Hunt wistfully recalled the lost potential of a dynasty thwarted by continuous player departures. “Personally, it’s very heartbreaking. It’s like when I was here the first time, we could have won the league seven or eight years in a row, easily. I don’t think anybody would have touched us. But players left, rebuild, players leave, rebuild. It’s pretty much rebuilt every year,” Hunt lamented.
Despite the emotional toll, Hunt is acutely aware of the financial underpinnings that drive these transfers. Acknowledging the economic pressures faced by football clubs, he admitted, “The club becomes more financially stable. It’s very expensive to run a football club.”
This pragmatic acceptance underscores the harsh realities of managing a football team in an era where financial solvency often trumps sporting continuity.
The transfer of players from SuperSport to Sundowns is not a recent phenomenon. It began with Paul Evans in the 1999/00 season and has continued unabated, with Sundowns acquiring a total of 19 players from their rivals in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) era and the latest is Kegan Allan, who moved in this window.
This trend has fortified Sundowns’ squad, enabling them to secure seven consecutive league titles, a testament to the efficacy of their strategy.
Key transfers include Calvin Marlin and Lungisani Ndlela in the 2006/07 season, Katlego Mphela and Siboniso Gaxa in 2008/09 following SuperSport’s league triumph under Hunt, and Elias Pelembe in 2009/10.
The list continues with Anthony Laffor in 2011/12, Tebogo Langerman in 2012/13, Bryce Moon in 2013/14, Mame Niang in 2014/15, and Jeremy Brockie in 2017/18. More recent acquisitions include Reyard Pieterse in 2018/19, Aubrey Modiba in 2020/21, Grant Kekana in 2021/22, and Teboho Mokoena just six months later. The 2022/23 season saw Sundowns sign RonwenWilliams and Sipho Mbule, with Thapelo Maseko joining in the most recent term.
As SuperSport continues to grapple with the dual challenges of maintaining competitiveness while ensuring financial stability, Hunt’s predicament encapsulates the broader dilemmas faced by many football clubs worldwide. While the departure of players to richer clubs is a painful reality, it is also a testament to the quality and nurturing environment provided by SuperSport.
As the football world evolves, so too must strategies and expectations, but the heartache of a coach watching his meticulously built team be dismantled piece by piece is a poignant reminder of the human element at the core of the beautiful game.