Gavin Hunt reflected on Stellenbosch FC missing out on the MTN8 after a final-day stalemate with Marumo Gallants, as he prepares to completely rebuild the squad for next season. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt is disappointed that his team missed out on qualification for the MTN8, but is excited to build his own squad for next season.
Hunt arrived in the Western Cape at the end of last year when the Winelands club were in a precarious position midway through the 2025/26 season. The departure of long-serving mentor Steve Barker marked the end of an era at Stellenbosch FC, and the transition phase pushed the club uncomfortably close to the relegation zone.
Securing safety was the immediate priority, and to that end, Hunt and his squad deserve credit as they comfortably achieved the primary objective, ultimately finishing in ninth position on 37 points - two points adrift of eighth-placed Durban City.
“I must commend the players,” said Hunt, after the goalless last-game draw with Marumo Gallants in Bloemfontein on Saturday. “They dug themselves out of a situation that wasn’t very pretty at the halfway stage, which was the first prize.”
However, he could not help but feel a tinge of disappointment that Stellenbosch will not be competing in the MTN8 next season — a competition Stellies have reached successive finals in over the past two seasons.
"We obviously also wanted to make the top eight, which we should have done," said Hunt.
“We had one or two games towards the end where (we let ourselves down), and once we got safe, we perhaps took the foot off a little bit. Take a game like this as an example, we should be winning with the chances we had. They’re obviously happy; we’re not, but we’re happy to finish the season and try to build for the next.”
The four-times League-winning coach is looking forward to starting a pre-season with Stellies with the opportunity to mould his charges the way he sees fit.
“I’ve got lots of plans, but those things take time. It won’t all happen at once, I know that from an experience perspective, so we have to build the team slowly. There are players who will leave and players who will come in.
“We’ll take each of those cases on its individual merits and try to build the team from there. It is exciting because we can really have a fresh start now and make sure we’re never in the situation we were in this year again.”