Gavin Hunt, head coach of Stellenbosch FC, gives instructions to Wonderboy Makhubu during a match at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.
Image: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
Prior to the formation of the Premier Soccer League in 1996, when professional football in South Africa officially switched its season from winter to the summer months, Cape Town’s football sides enjoyed a distinct advantage over their rivals from up north.
Teams such as Hellenic, Cape Town Spurs, and Santos were adept at playing in the wet and blustery winter conditions, with the home of Cape football, Athlone Stadium, being transformed into a wind tunnel on any given night.
Equally, the heavy underfoot conditions caused by torrential rains would slow down the silky skills of Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt would have experienced these nasty conditions during his playing days as a marauding right-back for Hellenic, a.k.a. "The Greek Gods."
So, with the Western Cape currently experiencing a cold front in early May, and heavy rain predicted when Pirates visit the Mother City for an all-important Betway Premiership clash against Stellies on Tuesday (kick-off at 7:30 pm), Hunt is hoping his team can utilise the elements to their advantage.
"The weather does affect our approach, because obviously, it’s a very different game playing in the rain," Hunt said.
"The pitch is much heavier and slower, which will hopefully suit us more because they are one of the best sides in the country in terms of the speed with which they play.
"They create [many] more chances than other teams in the league, and that’s something we certainly need to be aware of. But it does change a lot in terms of how you approach the game."
Pirates (59 points) are, of course, desperate to leave Cape Town with a maximum three-point haul in a bid to stay in touch with league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns (64 points).
Only three matches remain in the title race for both teams after Tuesday’s clash.
Stellies, however, have aspirations of their own, with Hunt’s side still in the reckoning to push for a top-eight finish.
Last week’s defeat away to Polokwane City halted their progress after an impressive 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld, and the experienced coach knows his team needs to get back on the horse quickly if they are to qualify for next season’s MTN8.
"We’ve had a bit of a break since our last game — about 10 days — and while we would have preferred to have played sooner, we are looking forward to the game," Hunt said.
"We were very disappointed that we lost last week [against Polokwane City] because we shouldn’t have lost or even drawn that game. It was disappointing because we could’ve come into this match in a much better situation.
"But we’re still fighting for the top eight, and we have a chance of achieving that. We have to try. We’ve got four games left, and we’ll probably have to win three of those."