SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt was shellshocked after Stellenbosch thumped the Pretoria giants 4-0 in their Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash on Saturday.

Stellies, in top form, dismantled Matsatsantsa a Pitori with a resounding 4-0 victory. The Stellenbosch goals came from 24-year-old Ivorian defender Alian Oura, Devon Titus, Andre de Jong, and Iqraam Rayners.

Hunt blamed a failure to adapt to the pitch conditions at Danie Craven Stadium for the heavy defeat. “We just never adjusted,” he admitted. “The ball bobbled all over the place, making it very difficult for us to control the game.”

“We were constantly caught in a bind because of the pitch,” Hunt emphasized. “They [Stellenbosch] obviously coped better with the conditions than we did.”

While frustrated with the pitch, Hunt acknowledged Stellenbosch’s strong performance. He conceded some of the goals were due to the tricky surface but emphasized the need for improvement within his own team.

“The first goal took a deflection that fell right to them, and the second came from a back pass that bobbled off our player, straight to theirs,” Hunt lamented.

Looking ahead, Hunt knows dwelling on the defeat won’t help. “We need to analyze it and identify areas for improvement,” he explained.

SuperSport United’s form has dipped significantly since the year began. They haven’t won a league game and are now out of the Nedbank Cup.

The 59-year-old coach, a four-time league winner, understands the need to regroup. “We have a game on Wednesday, and we must pick ourselves up,” he declared. “Talking won’t fix anything; we need to play better.”

Securing a CAF Confederation Cup spot through the DStv Premiership table is now the only realistic target remaining for SuperSport United. Their next challenge is against Polokwane City on Wednesday evening.

The last time Hunt suffered a 4-0 defeat was with Kaizer Chiefs in the CAF Champions League match against Wydad Athletic Club.