Staff Reporter.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt praised the energy of his side after they rescued a late point in Wednesday’s 1-1 DStv Premiership draw at fellow strugglers Maritzburg United.
Chiefs looked lethargic at times as they fell behind to Thabiso Kutumela’s opener, before Lebo Manyama’s late header gave the side a draw, though both goals appeared to be offside but were not spotted by the officials.
Hunt was pleased with the way his team fought back and managed to get something from the game.
“The first-half I think we gave the ball away simply, especially on our left-hand side, you don’t expect it at this level, so we gotta be better,” Hunt said.
“And then the turnover comes and they are at you, we were playing opposite to the ball, in terms of the ball coming forward and we were going at it.
“It gets behind you and then it’s a chase, they got the goal, they got the lifeline, I thought we played well the first ten minutes, we played okay.
“We played through the lines a little better, we have to try play football, our team can’t play if it doesn’t go direct you know, with the team that we have.
“Second-half, obviously changed it, obviously we were a totally different side, okay they hit the crossbar to be fair but I mean, Nazeer Allie, he did it for me for three years, I’ve never seen a guy clear the ball off the line like that.
“Hit it straight in the head, could have gone either way, so ja give and take, we came back, good spread from the players, good attitude, desire, the most important thing, we showed it. “I’m happy they got some rewards because they put it in tonight and that’s all we can do.”
Hunt added that the PSL is a much different league to the CAF Champions League and his side has to learn how to have timing in their play.
“As I said, I get criticised because I think the [CAF] Champions League is much slower, it’s a slower game, here in the PSL is 100 miles an hour, the ball is going back to front, back to front,” he said.
“So you gotta make sure the passing, when to play, when not play, we played into the press the whole night, sometimes you have to play over the press or through the press, that’s the things you gotta learn.”