Kaizer chiefs coach Gavin Hunt: It's something we can't afford

BetOdds Kaizer Chiefs Cup Kaizer Chiefs v Richards Bay Richards Bay

The Amakhosi mentor won the Nedbank Cup in 2012 with SuperSport United and also won the Absa Cup (the same competition) in 2004 with Moroka Swallows

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Gavin Hunt says he does not have the luxury of fielding fringe players for Sunday's Nedbank Cup tie against Richards Bay.

Amakhosi host the first division (second tier) side at the FNB Stadium on Sunday afternoon (15:00 kick-off) in a last 32 encounter.

The KwaZulu-Natal side are currently topping the first division standings and may fancy their chances against a Chiefs team which has battled for consistency.

Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt is wary of the threat Richards Bay will provide.

"I think teams from the NFD [first division] play with much more intensity and the game is helter-skelter over there," he told the media, as quoted by News24.

"I don't think a lot of the top-flight teams are used to those types of games and if you look at the average height of those teams, they're quite small and nippy.

"It looks sometimes like they've got 15 players on the field which is difficult to play against."

Chiefs fell at the semi-final stage of the MTN8 and are currently 15 points behind league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. There is no Telkom Knockout this season and while Amakhosi are still in the Caf Champions League, the Nedbank Cup does seem to be their only realistic shot at silverware this season.

Hunt therefore won't be tempted to rest any of his key players and is looking set to play just about his strongest available team.

"We'll obviously try our best in every game and we'll play the best eleven that we think is suitable for the game and take it from there because there's no freebies that's for sure," said the former Moroka Swallows, SuperSport United and Bidvest Wits coach.

"If you look all around the world you see teams playing weakened teams in Cup competitions but it's something we can't afford because of the situation we find ourselves in."

2021-02-05 10:00:04

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