SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt expressed his frustration at not being able to coach his team from the touchline in continental competition. Despite sitting in the stands, his team secured a 3-0 victory over Gaborone United, advancing to the group stages of the Caf Confederation Cup. However, Hunt’s inability to sit on the bench due to new coaching license regulations left him exasperated.
During a post-match press conference, Hunt voiced his confusion and dissatisfaction with the new regulations. He stated, “I have sat on the bench for the last 25 years, and all of a sudden I can’t sit on the bench. I don’t know what it means, Caf…”.
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The Confederation of African Football (Caf) now requires coaches to possess a Caf A Licence or a Pro Licence to sit on the bench during matches.
Hunt, who holds a Uefa A Licence, questioned why the regulations had changed and shared his previous experience sitting on the bench during his time at Kaizer Chiefs and with Wits and SuperSport. He mentioned his involvement in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Caf Champions League and his confusion about the sudden change in rules.
Expressing his frustration, Hunt said, ‘And then now one association says ‘Bugger you’ and the other says ‘Bugger you’. Obviously, it’s not my argument. But I don’t know what happened. It’s ridiculous’.
Hunt acknowledged that he would need to comply with the new regulations to be able to coach his team from the bench effectively. He humorously suggested that he might obtain a Caf C Licence, stating, “Maybe I should get a Caf C Licence. Both my daughters have a Caf C Licence… Maybe they can sit on the bench. But they’ve never kicked a ball in their life”.
Despite Hunt’s absence on the touchline, SuperSport United secured a convincing victory, with Nigerian Etiosa Ighodaro scoring a brace and Bradley Grobler adding a late goal. The team now advances to the group stages, guaranteeing them a minimum of R7.5 million in earnings.
Reflecting on the match, Hunt admitted that his team looked a bit edgy at the start but commended their performance. He highlighted Ighodaro’s individual brilliance in scoring two excellent goals. Hunt also acknowledged that the team was a mix of new players and those who had not played before, leading to a lack of rhythm in the initial stages. However, as the game progressed, the team improved and ultimately secured the victory.
