Gavin Hunt alarmed by ‘unprecedented’ PSL transfer exodus as season kicks off

Stellenbosch head coach Gavin Hunt says he has never witnessed such drastic player turnover in the Premier Soccer League and believes financial pressures are driving an “unprecedented” clear-out across clubs ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

Speaking at the Betway Premiership launch event at The Venue in Houghton, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, the veteran coach said he had been taken aback by the number of departures in the current transfer window.

“I’ve never seen such player movement in the PSL with every club,” Hunt said.

He highlighted the scale of the reshuffle at several teams, pointing to the volume of exits at some of the league’s biggest names.

“I think Pirates let go of 17 [players], we [Stellenbosch] 20, Galaxy must be more … everybody … Siwelele,” he said, referring to widespread changes around the league.

Financial strain blamed

Hunt believes tightening budgets are at the heart of the mass clear-outs, suggesting clubs are cutting squads to contain costs.

“It obviously has much to do with budgets, doesn’t it? Let’s be honest, money, whatever it is,” the Stellies coach said.

While he did not elaborate on specific financial figures or club situations, Hunt indicated that economic realities were forcing decision-makers to release players at a rate he has not previously encountered during his long career in South African football.

Preparation problems for new season

The 60-year-old, one of the most experienced coaches in the PSL, warned that the scale and timing of the departures were undermining teams’ ability to prepare properly for the new season, which starts on Saturday.

“It’s very difficult to keep hold of your players very, very difficult, as you’ve seen. We rebuild, rebuild all the time, bring in a new squad,” the former Bidvest Wits coach said.

“As we talk, one player has just left now. Tomorrow will be another one, two days away from the first game …”

Although Hunt did not name the player directly, his remarks came on the same day that Stellenbosch midfielder Thapelo Mokobodi joined Orlando Pirates.

Hunt said the constant churn was making it almost impossible to conduct a settled pre-season.

“It’s not easy. You can’t prepare, you can’t do proper pre-season sessions because players are coming and going, and some are coming in later. We’re two, three days away and there’re still moves happening now.”

Stellies forced to give up home advantage

Stellenbosch begin their 2026-27 Betway Premiership campaign against AmaZulu on Saturday, but will do so away from home at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban.

The fixture had originally been scheduled as a home game for Stellenbosch, yet a shortage of available venues in the Western Cape has forced the club to switch the match to KwaZulu-Natal.

“Facility is a big problem. It’s seven away games in a row now [stretching from last season]. Something has to be done,” Hunt added.

The run of consecutive fixtures away from home, combined with ongoing squad upheaval, leaves Hunt’s side facing a challenging start to the season, as similar issues appear to be affecting a number of clubs across the league.