OBAKENG MELETSE
GAVIN Hunt will take his SuperSport United outfit on the prowl for their first DStv Premiership win in nine matches when they face troubled Kaizer Chiefs at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday (5.30pm kick-off).
Looking for a change of fortunes, a move away from Soccer City might be just what the Glamour Boys need.
There has been little to no attractive or exciting football from the Amakhosi, with the harsh reality that a top-eight spot is slowly beginning to slip away.
Both sides will go into this fixture on the back of poor results that have seen them lose ground on other teams in the top eight, with only six matches left to play before the season ends.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori are in a better league position than their opponents, but have not had it any better in recent times.
While they are fifth on 35 points, Chiefs are tenth with just 30.
SuperSport are winless in 2024, and their last league victory was a 3-1 win against Chiefs’ neighbours, Orlando Pirates, in December.
Their last chance of silverware was rudely snatched away by an impressive Stellenbosch FC outfit, who mauled them 4-0 in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals two weeks ago, leaving CAF Champions League qualification as their last hope to end the season well.
Eight points separate fifth-placed Matsatsantsa from Stellies in second place. The three-time league champions are still in with a shot to finish second, but will need to pounce on a Chiefs side lacking confidence.
Coach Hunt could argue that their league position doesn’t tell the full story.
Luck has not been on SuperSport’s side, with as many as six draws in their past nine fixtures.
Six points could easily have been 18, and they would be sitting comfortably in second position, with an outside chance of pushing Mamelodi Sundowns all the way.
Kaizer Chiefs are up next for Matsatsantsa in this weekend's #DStvPrem clash! ⚽️🔥#MatsatsantsaUnified pic.twitter.com/C3FFULaftg
— SuperSport United FC (@SuperSportFC) April 24, 2024
The 59-year-old mentor couldn’t hide his disappointment after their 1-1 draw against Polokwane City last week, which was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Chippa United last Saturday.
But he feels his side will need more luck to turn things around.
“It’s not going for us at the moment, but we deserved more than a draw. We still have a lot of games left. We will finish well – we have young players that have to learn on the job, but we will get better,” Hunt said.
Chiefs are two points away from a top-eight spot.
Their bad run of form has seen them pick up only a single point from their past five fixtures, with four losses.
Interim coach Cavin Johnson’s side don’t look like a team who are certain of what they need to do to get things right.
They only have six matches to get their season back on track, and avoid missing out the top-eight finish that is also well below their standards.