Give Rulani a chance, says Hunt

Cape Town - Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt has hit out at the mentality of Absa Premiership clubs preferring to hire foreign coaches instead of local ones.

Hunt's comments come in the wake of criticism directed at Orlando Pirates' new coach Rulani Mokwena with the highly rated 32-year-old homegrown tactician having endured a poor start to his first head coaching assignment.

The Clever Boys mentor lambasted PSL club executives that hire coaches with 'fake CVs' and who are 'plumbers' just because they come from another country and praised the Pirates hierarchy for believing in homegrown talent.

"A guy like Rhulani, give the man a chance. I am sure his preparation is good. I give credit to Pirates for sticking their neck out to say, 'don’t bring another one in here'. Even guys with funny, fake CVs get a job when we have capable coaches here," said Hunt.

"I am old, but there’s young guys and we need more of them. When a guy shows great potential, give them a chance. But then they have to win football matches. I am excited about where we are going with the football, but let’s not bring in the plumbers.

"When I started, a foreigner came to this country and had an English accent and got a job. Then we had Brazilians. Moroka Swallows had a beach soccer coach once.

"I mean, are you crazy? What are you doing, having a laugh or what? Then there’s electricians and fishermen. Whatever.

"We’ve got to believe in our own. I got given a chance and did my apprenticeship for four years in the first division. And then I got given a chance to find my way through and battled it."

- TeamTalk