After bowing out of the CAF Confederation Cup, Stellenbosch FC head coach Gavin Hunt has revealed how the experience may prove valuable, saying it helped sharpen his squad ahead of a crucial run in the Betway Premiership.
Stellenbosch’s continental campaign came to an end on Sunday following a goalless draw against Tanzania’s Singida Black Stars at the Cape Town Stadium.
The Maroons finished bottom of Group C with one win from six matches, along with two draws and three defeats. Their group-stage journey began with a 1–0 victory over AS Otoho of DR Congo, followed by a 1–1 draw away to Singida and a 2–0 defeat to CR Belouizdad in Algeria.
Matchday four ended in a 3–0 home loss to the Algerians in Cape Town, before a 3–0 defeat away to Otoho and Sunday’s stalemate against Singida.
GAVIN HUNT: WE HAVE CERTAIN AREAS TO WORK ON
Speaking to the media after the continental exit, Hunt said the campaign gave him valuable insight into the squad. He confirmed that every player was given an opportunity. It helped him gain a clearer idea of how Stellenbosch should approach the Betway Premiership going forward.
Stellies are currently third from bottom, just one point above the relegation zone, although they carry three games in hand.
Hunt admitted he may not be able to implement his preferred style due to the current squad profile. However, he is determined to guide the team through the crucial period until May.
“In the CAF, we’ve played everybody,” Hunt told journalists. “We had a look at everybody. I have a nice picture of what we need and what we don’t need, how we need to set the team up
“The way I want to do it, I can’t do it. So I have to do it the way it needs to be done, you know what I’m saying?
“I can’t say I would have played 4-4-2 or whatever. We have certain areas that we need to work on. The technical team need to sort that out. We need to get through this period until May. It is vitally important.
“We are third from bottom in the league, we’re in a dog-fight now. This [CAF Confederation Cup] is gone, so that’s good for us. I’ve played four or five different teams. So it was purely to prepare us for the next three to four months,” Hunt concluded.
RELATED STORY: Gavin Hunt’s Stellenbosch squad shake-up: Four players gone, six arrive