Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
A week may seem like a long time in politics, but in professional football it may seem like an eternity.
Seven days ago, Gavin Hunt was lamenting a first Betway Premiership defeat since joining Stellenbosch FC at the beginning of the year.
Hunt, though, can console himself that he still has a job, unlike Eric Tinkler who was dismissed as head coach at Sekhukhune United on Monday.
In reality, the two coaches experienced the exact same results in their last five League matches, having each one won, lost one, and drawn three.
Tinkler’s dismissal at Sekhukhune, however, reflects more the ambitions of the respective clubs ahead of their Betway Premiership encounter at Athlone Stadium on Friday (6:30pm start).
The Sekhukhune top brass had issued Tinkler with clear mandate at the start of the season of finishing within the top three League places to secure a spot in one of the CAF continental competitions next season along with delivering silverware from anyone one of the domestic competitions, namely MTN8, Carling Knockout, or Nedbank Cup.
The Bambina Noko are currently just two points adrift of third-placed Kaizer Chiefs, but the Amakhosi have two games in hand heading into the final stages of the season.
It was not too long ago that Stellenbosch were the team competing at the lofty end of the table whilst enjoying dreamy runs in both local and continental Cup competitions.
Stellies finished third in consecutive Betway Premiership seasons, featured in a CAF Confederation Cup semi-final and two MTN8 Finals over the past two years.
But that all seemed like a distant memory during the festive break this season after long-serving head coach Steve Barker sought new pastures in Tanzania with Simba FC after Stellies had endured a horrid start to the 2025/26 campaign that left them close to the relegation zone.
Hunt’s sole objective upon arriving at the Danie Craven Stadium was to ensure the sole remaining Premiership club in the Western Cape avoided the same relegation fate that saw Cape Town City plummet to the second tier at the end of last season.
The vastly experienced four-times League winning-coach has virtually achieved his objective with Stellies now sitting comfortably in ninth position with 28 points and harbouring ambitions of finishing in the top eight to return to the MTN8 next season.
But to achieve this they will need to get back on the horse after surrendering an eight game unbeaten streak against Richards Bay at the King Zwelithini Stadium where Hunt was once again left incensed with the state of officiating in South African football.
He will hope his charges can take advantage of the uncertainty within the Sekhukhune camp after Tinkler’s departure this week.