Hunt Plans To Use Cape Town Storm To Drown Pirates’ Title Hopes

Stellenbosch coach Gavin Hunt believes their hopes of finishing in the top eight of the Betway Premiership are still alive, with four games remaining.

Hunt’s side will host Orlando Pirates at a sold-out Athlone Stadium on Tuesday evening, with kick-off scheduled for 19:30.

Stellies currently sit in 10th place with 32 points after 26 matches.

They head into this encounter looking to bounce back after losing to Polokwane City last week.

“We’ve had a bit of a break since our last game—about 10 days—and while we would have preferred to play sooner, we’re looking forward to this one,” Hunt said, according to the club’s website.

“We were very disappointed to lose last week because we shouldn’t have lost—or even drawn—that game. That was frustrating, as we could have come into this match in a much better position.

“But we’re still fighting for a top-eight finish, and we have a chance of achieving that. We have to try. We’ve got four games left, and we’ll probably need to win three of them.”

Hunt also acknowledged that the expected rain in Cape Town could influence his approach against Pirates, but believes it may work in his team’s favour.

“The weather does affect our approach because it’s a very different game in the rain,” he said.

The former Kaizer Chiefs coach previously played for Hellenic at Athlone Stadium; he is citing his experience with “The Greek Gods” to justify why a heavy pitch favors a slower, more physical approach.

“The pitch becomes heavier and slower, which will hopefully suit us more, as they are one of the best sides in the country in terms of the speed at which they play,” continued Hunt.

“They create more chances than most teams in the league, and that’s something we need to be aware of. But the conditions do change a lot in terms of how you approach the game.”