Ditlhokwe wanted to play for SuperSport United, not Kaizer Chiefs - Hunt reveals conversation with Botswana captain

SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt has disclosed that Kaizer Chiefs-bound Thatayaone Ditlhokwe turned down the chance to join Amakhosi early.

SuperSport sold Rayners and kept Ditlhokwe
Hunt insists Matsatsantsa were open to selling TT
The tall player will become a Chiefs player in July

WHAT HAPPENED?: The no-nonsense defender signed a pre-contract with Chiefs last month after he entered the final six months of his deal with Matsatsantsa.
There were rumours suggesting that Ditlhokwe, who is nicknamed TT, would be released early by SuperSport after the club discovered that he was bound to leave for free at the end of the season.
However, the Botswana captain stayed put at Matsatsantsa and Hunt now revealed that the player wanted to stay at the Tshwane giants and see out his contract unlike Iqraam Rayners who was sold to Stellenbosch FC last month due to his unhappiness.

WHAT DID HUNT SAY?: "I've won the league with players who have signed pre-contracts. I have had players at SuperSport... I had a player during my first year here, (Sibusiso) Mahlangu," Hunt said on Soccer Laduma.

"He signed (a pre-contract) with Wits and I said to him 'are you going to play properly?' He was man of the match when we played against Wits. A player should see out his contract. If he wants to leave, like (Iqraam) Rayners, we won't stand in the player's way.

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"Then we do a deal. It's about knowing the player. If a player signs a pre-contract, you can only ask him if he wants to go. TT is a fantastic player and I asked him straight to his face; 'do you want to play or you want to go?' He said he wants to play here."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ditlhokwe, who is one of the top centre-backs in the PSL, is a key member of Hunt's squad and one of the leaders in the team's defence.
The left-footed player has played 17 matches across all competitions for the three-time PSL champions this season.
He was signed by SuperSport on a three-and-a-half year deal in January 2020 as he joined the club from Botswana giants Township Rollers.
That deal will expire in June this year and he will then join Chiefs on a four-year contract.