Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt has voiced his frustration over the delayed debut of Nigerian defender Olisa Ndah, revealing the cause of the setback. The 28-year-old joined the Cape Winelands-based outfit last month after cutting ties with the Soweto giants, Orlando Pirates.
Hunt was speaking following their 1-1 draw against TS Galaxy in a Betway Premiership tie at Danie Craven Stadium.
The Rockets were the first team to break the deadlock just a minute into the match through Zimbabwean international Junior Zindoga. However, Stellies made use of their home ground advantage to level matters in the 57th minute, courtesy of Wonderboy Makhubu’s goal.
‘SOME PEOPLE GET WORK PERMITS QUICKER THAN OTHER PEOPLE’: GAVIN HUNT
The veteran coach, Hunt, revealed that Ndah’s integration into the matchday squad has been stalled by the slow processing of his work permit.
Hunt went on to state that South Africa lacks an efficient system for processing foreign players’ paperwork faster, a factor he believes puts certain clubs at a disadvantage.
Stellies currently sit ninth on the log standings with 24 points after 20 games, but the well-travelled mentor clearly feels the absence of Ndah’s experience at the back is a missed opportunity to solidify his defence.
“I would love to play Ndah, but some people get work permits quicker than other people,” said Hunt in a post-match interview.
“I mean, it’s just a change of employee, so it should be something quicker [getting a work permit]. It is a problem because those types of things, I don’t want to compare, but if you compare all the big leagues around the world, when a foreign player comes into a team, their work permit gets processed through a certain person for all the clubs.
“So, I think that should happen, and it has never happened like that. It’s a bit disappointing because he has been in our club for a month now. He should have played by now.”
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