The continental quest? Can Stellenbosch FC's Gavin Hunt cement his legacy in the Winelands?

Gavin Hunt has always been an ambitious coach, and that’s why he’ll probably be hesitant to call time on his career before he wins continental silverware.

With four Premiership titles to his name – three in a row with the now-defunct SuperSport United and one with the defunct Bidvest Wits – Hunt has assembled a decorated career in the local game. As such, when he joined Chiefs on the back of all that success and the club’s resources – which excluded new signings at the time due to a FIFA ban – he was expected to thrive in Naturena.

He did his best, guiding the team to the final of the CAF Champions League in 2021 with a relatively young and inexperienced squad. His strides, however, went unnoticed by the big suits at Amakhosi, as he was sacked before the final, which Chiefs went on to lose 3–0 under predecessor Stuart Baxter.

Since that abrupt sacking, Hunt has never quite felt the same, as one of the rarest opportunities to etch his name in the history books of African football was taken away from him in the blink of an eye.

But enter Stellenbosch, the Winelands-based side, which offered Hunt a “second bite of the cherry”, albeit on a secondary platform. The 61-year-old is currently coaching Stellies in the Confederation Cup group stage after taking over the reins from Steve Barker late last year.

Hunt’s tenure got off to a flying start, with a 1–0 win against Sekhukhune United in the season restart in the Betway Premiership.

However, Hunt and his charges were unable to carry that momentum onto the continent, as they were beaten 2–0 by CR Belouizdad away from home for their first defeat of the group stage.

Hunt was clearly disappointed with the result, as Stellies remained second on the log in Group C with four points, two behind Belouizdad after the third round of matches.

With the return leg set for this Sunday – at a venue yet to be announced – Stellies will be eager to avenge the defeat and take a step closer to reaching the knockout round for the second season in as many attempts.

Stellies reached the semi-final of the competition at the first attempt last season under Barker, an incredible achievement given the fact that they had also finished third on the log – their highest-ever finish – prior to qualifying for the tournament.

Hunt will be hoping he can follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and take the team to even greater heights by winning the tournament, finally cementing his place among the greatest coaches to have won continental silverware.