Kaizer Chiefs Coach Gavin Hunt says every player has to fight for their position in the team regardless of their prominence. He was speaking after his 0-0 draw with Horoya AC of Guinea in the CAF Champions League group stage match at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday night. The Soweto giants collected a single point after one match, before facing Wydad on the road this coming Sunday.
Asked why was Zambian striker, Lazarous Kambole was sidelined in most matches, Hunt said no player had an automatic place in the starting line-up.
He says each and every player has to fight for their position because the bar has been raised.
Kambole was fielded as a substitute against Horoya in the second half last night. The former Bidvest Wits coach says Kambole, being a foreigner, has to double up his performance.
“You’ve got to do better. If he comes on you know you’ve gotta do better. When you get 16, 20 minutes I think in that position he’s got to work a bit harder. In that position, he needs to work a little bit more without the ball, as well. So, if you come sometimes to a different country and a different mentality … I like him there. No problem with him, but as a foreign player, we need a little bit more. I always emphasise that,” says Hunt.
Since signing for Amakhosi, Hunt has already lost three domestic trophies, namely the MTN8, the Telkom Knockout as well as the Nedbank Cup. Amakhosi are ninth on the DStv Premiership log, with 19 points after 17 matches.
Hunt is under pressure to perform following a bad start at the beginning of the season. He says Chiefs scored twice last night against Horoya, but both goals did not count after being ruled offside.
“You know we scored two goals possibly the one was off. I don’t think the other one was off, but we can stand and talk the whole day. It was a good effort from the players. That’s the most important thing. The intensity was better. The attitude was good from the weekend. We should have won on the weekend as well. So, these things happen in football. We have to grin go through it. The most important thing was good attitude.”
It was the first time that Chiefs played in the CAF Champions League group stages. Chiefs are pitted with Horoya, Wydad Casablanca of Morocco, and Petro Atletico of Angola in Group C.
