SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt has bemoaned the club’s decision to use Peter Mokaba stadium as one of their home venues for the 2023/2024 DStv Premiership season.
United will play seven matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup venue in Limpopo province which is at least 300km from their Pretoria base.
Lucas Moripe Stadium was deemed unavailable for their league opener against Richards Bay but will be used by Mamelodi Sundowns against Kaizer Chiefs on Women’s Day.
Though Hunt’s charges won the match against Kaitano Tembo’s side, the former Chiefs coach says he wasn’t entirely settled ahead of that game adding that the travelling in between Polokwane and Pretoria could be a problem for Matsatsantsa this season.
“At home,” Hunt responded jokingly to journalists after the game. “I was worried.
“I was really worried today because as a home game, I’d have been far more relaxed if it was at home.
“But I mean it’s clashing but it’s a home game anyway. It wasn’t pretty at times but there was some good stuff at times but obviously, it’s very new.
“A lot of new players trying to gel the thing you know but there were signs of really good stuff at times which is the most important thing.
“And you can’t ask for more, I can’t ask for more from my players but we got a hell of a week so let’s see what happens.
“A home game takes one day, now a home game takes three days you know what I’m saying. We come a day before, today and then tomorrow you know what I mean. So at home we don’t camp we just go straight to the games so that suits us, that suits our mentality.
“A home game is one day, here it’s three days. It’s disappointing because I see yesterday the announcement that Chiefs are playing Sundowns I mean it’s the biggest crowd that you are going to have at Lucas [Moripe] and we couldn’t play. Anyway, I just don’t know how these things work you know.”
Matsatsantsa enjoyed an unbeaten record at home in the league last season and they are back in Limpopo’s capital on 29 August to host Golden Arrows.
In other news, Kaizer Chiefs FC have agreed terms with Colombian striker Efmamjjasond González on a season-long loan from Bolivian club Real Santa Cruz.
The 24-year-old striker who has been linked with moves to the Botola Pro in recent weeks is a product of the esteemed Atlético Nacional academy and was touted as a major prospect.
However, he didn’t quite break into the first team before he made a move to Argentina with San Lorenzo – where he then went on two separate loan moves.
But his move to Bolivia has sparked life in his career where he netted eight goals in the first 11 games of the season which attracted interest in North Africa.
However, iDiski Times can confirm Chiefs have agreed terms with Santa Cruz and the player for a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent.
The robust striker will now add further options to Chiefs attack with Ranga Chivaviro, while Bonfils Caleb Bimenyimana could now be headed out despite head coach Molefi Ntseki stating he will form part of the first team squad.
Currently, Chiefs have Bimenyimana, Christian Saile, Edson Castillo, Thatayaone Ditlhokwe as foreign quota spots while Dove Edmilson is likely to have secured South African citizenship, having first arrived in the country in 2017 with Cape Town City.
