Home Sport Chiefs not pretty to watch at the moment says Hunt

Chiefs not pretty to watch at the moment says Hunt

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Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt has labelled his team’s congested fixture list as ’crazy’ following their 2-1 win over Cape Town City this past weekend.

Cape Town City’s Thabo Nodada and Nkosingiphile Ngcobo of Kaizer Chiefs fight for the ball during the DStv Premiership match. Picture: Ryan Wilkisky, BackpagePix

CAPE TOWN – Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt has labelled his team’s congested fixture list as “crazy“.

Speaking after Chiefs’ 2-1 victory over Cape Town City on Saturday the Amakhosi’s third game in the last seven days – and ahead of another match against TTM at FNB Stadium tomorrow, Hunt was visibly frustrated with the scheduling.

Chiefs have also endured strenuous continental trips for CAF Champions League matches over the last period.

“In the last three weeks we’ve been to Angola, Cameroon, playing up and down – and we’re playing again on Tuesday,” Hunt said.

“We’re playing every three days, we’re playing Tuesday again, so it’s crazy. We just try and get over this, try and see what we’ve got and we’ll go again on Tuesday.

“But right now we’ve got to try and get as many points as we can, and try and get away from where we were.”

On the balance of play City were certainly deserving of at least a share of the spoils after the visitors stormed into a 2-0 lead within the first 20 minutes courtesy of goals from youngsters Nkosingiphile Ngcobo (seventh minute) and Happy Mashiane (18th).

The hosts, however, came out storming in the second half and dominated the second 45 minutes.

City had a plethora of chances with Mduduzi Mdantsane hitting the post and Thabo Nodada’s penalty appeal also turned down.

Ultimately though City only had Fagrie Lakay’s late consolation to show for their efforts.

This prompted City coach Jan Olde Riekerink to claim that “we deserved to win the game”.

Hunt was not willing to engage in any post-match media battles with his City counterpart, but made it clear that Chiefs showed great character to claim all three points despite not being at their fluent best.

“You can see we are playing every two, three days, and they haven’t – so it was difficult,” he said.

“So once we got the two goals we had to dig in and give one of those performances.

“It wasn’t pretty to watch, but you know, if you look at the league table where we were at the bottom (14th last weekend), and people say lots of things.

“We got a foothold in the game nice and early with two goals, which obviously does help, especially away from home.

“I came here last year (with Bidvest Wits), I lost 2-1 and it was exactly the other way round, where we camped in their half and tried to score and couldn’t.

“So it happens like that. And when you are playing every two, three days your legs go, and you could see it.

“I thought at 2-0 up they’re going to come, they’re the home team, they’re going to throw numbers at you, and they had chances, but we also had chances where we could have made it one or two more.”

Despite bemoaning City’s misfortune – particularly the penalty appeal – Olde Riekerink admitted his team’s slow start the game was extremely costly.

“We lost it in the first 20 minutes. Everybody knows what to do and we gave away too much pace and lost two times the ball when there was transition,” said the Dutchman.

@ZaahierAdams

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