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Life on the Kaizer Chiefs bench has been tough for Gavin Hunt and there were times when the increasingly pressured coach had the haunted look of a man trying to sit on a coal bed.
The atmosphere of euphoric excitement he received upon his arrival at Naturena in September is a distant memory and has been replaced by a looming sense of doom amongst the fans as the club continues to lurch from one disappointing result to the next.
Insomnia must be a constant companion for Hunt and Tuesday night’s 2-1 league loss to Supersport United plunged him into a new fit of desperation, as it was yet another example of a game they should have won but that somehow they managed to lose.
While the deflating result took a lot out of him and he admitted it in his post-match interviews, he will have to recover very quickly and prepare for another potential minefield in the form of the Bloemfontein Celtic.
The Chiefs host Celtic at FNB Stadium on Saturday in their last game of the year before the Christmas break and Naturena’s weak side will have to put their disappointment on Tuesday night behind them if they want to avoid another setback against the difficult team from Bloemfontein.
Midfielder Lebogang Manyama admitted that Celtic are a formidable adversary and could plunge the Chiefs into further misery if they allow the ghosts of recent weeks to continue to haunt them. “I think we absolutely dominate much of the game [against United]”Probably the best game we have played all season as a team and as individuals,” lamented Manyama.
“Obviously a lot of positives to take [from the defeat]. I can’t really talk about the mistakes [they committed plenty‚ including a howler from goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune]“They speak for themselves and I don’t really need to talk about them. We know we’re not supposed to.
“I mean, as a saying, a lot of positives to take and come on Saturday [against Celtic] we need to have the same energy, the same hunger, a little more, obviously, fewer mistakes, you know. “
Celtic are certainly not far behind and although they are 10th in the standings, their position is misleading as it hides the true nature of a dangerous team that can go head-to-head with any team in the league.
Manyama is well aware of the threat they pose and warned that the Free State visitors carry more than enough weapons to make life very difficult at FNB Stadium.
“Obviously Celtic is another team that is incredible at halftime,” he said.
“They just played a cup final [the MTN8 against Orlando Pirates]‚But unfortunately they couldn’t win it [Celtic were beaten 2-1]. But you see that they immediately bounced back in their next game. [they beat Baroka 2-0 on Wednesday] and it was the same old Celtic we’ve played over the years.
“They are fast on the counter, very good with the ball, very good players, [Ndumiso] Mabena ‚ [Tebogo] Potsane ‚ [Lantshene] Phalane, aaah, you know the core of that team is very strong and we know what to expect.
“They love to play with the ball. But like I said, the responsibility is on us to show the same performance that we showed against Supersport. And a little more obviously trying to take advantage of our opportunities and bury the game early, that we had the opportunity that to do against Supersport. Unfortunately we couldn’t, but yeah, there are a lot of positives and we’re starting to go in the right direction. “
The Chiefs are only five points behind Maritzburg United and their decline has been such that it is almost easy to forget that they finished runners-up to champion Mamelodi Sundowns last season, handing over the league title on the final day of the campaign.
They have won just one game in seven outings and will be desperate to salvage something from the Celtic encounter and end the year with some semblance of stability.
“We need the points to move away from the bottom [half of the standings] at the end of the year, just to start, you know, so that when we start next year, we start a little higher, with a little more confidence, ”Manyama said.
“Obviously, we also know that there is a game after that, so build confidence. We have a very great game after that, but we are not thinking about that. You only gain confidence after playing well and I think we played very well and we have to build on that. “
Full list of this weekend’s matches:
FRIDAY
Maritzburg United vs Stellenbosch at Harry Gwala Stadium (7pm)
SATURDAY
Golden Arrows vs Mamelodi Sundowns at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium (3:30 pm) Baroka vs SuperSport United at Peter Mokaba Stadium (3:30 pm) Kaizer Chiefs vs Bloemfontein Celtic at FNB Stadium (6:00 pm) Cape Town City vs TS Galaxy at Cape Town Stadium (6 pm)
SUNDAY
Black Leopards vs Swallows at Thohoyandou Stadium (3:30 pm) AmaZulu vs Chippa United at Kings Park Stadium (3:30 pm)
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