Stellenbosch’s Hunt reveals three signings as Mthethwa faces lengthy injury absence

Stellenbosch FC head coach Gavin Hunt has confirmed the club have three new players yet to be announced, while revealing that midfielder Tlakusani Mthethwa could be sidelined for an extended period after undergoing an operation.

Hunt was speaking after Bradley Grobler scored a late equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw against Sekhukhune United. Bethuel Muzeu had put Sekhukhune ahead before Grobler’s intervention.

The four-time league-winning coach said Stellenbosch remain short of options in some areas, although he does not want to use injuries and player availability as an excuse.

New signing Ashley Du Preez is managing a slight niggle after joining from Kaizer Chiefs and could return soon. Mosa Lebusa, who has been unavailable since the opening match of the campaign against AmaZulu, is expected back after the international break.

Mthethwa’s injury, however, is more serious.

“He has to have an operation; I just found out today,” Hunt told the media after the match.

“So what does that mean? So we’re short in midfield. We’re really short, you know, in centre midfield. So we’re going to need to look at what we can do there.

“We’ve got one or two of our youth players in, but you know, we’ve got some big games coming up: Chiefs and Pirates, and we’re going to need a little bit more legs and power there.

“Mthethwa gave us a lot of balance and power, and he was signed for that reason: experience, good professional. So it’s a big blow to us, that.”

Work permits delay Stellenbosch additions

Hunt also confirmed that three foreign players are yet to make their Stellenbosch debuts, although Ghanaian goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi is now available for selection.

The club are still waiting for work permits for Nigerian players Arigo Obus Godspower and Lateef Kazeem Adeyanju.

“Kazeem is obviously a left winger; he’s a left-footed player,” Hunt said.

“He’s really done well at training, and obviously the other guy, Arigo, is a striker. It’ll give us options, so rotating Bradley and him a little bit more; he can very much play up on the last line.

“Good in the air, he runs, he’s got a lot of goals in pre-season, but obviously hasn’t been able to use him. So that’s going to be another problem to try and integrate him a little bit more.

“It’s just work permits now.”

Hunt believes several unavailable players could become regular starters once they are cleared to play, helping shape a new-look Stellenbosch side.

“If you look at our squad, there’s certainly four, five that will start in our team that are not playing,” he said.

“And it’s been unfortunate. It’s just one of those things. Lebusa, Bafana [Mthethwa], Kazeem, and Arigo, they will start the four, five of them in our team. But obviously, they haven’t been available for various reasons, and that’s about it.”