Explained! Why Ex-Kaizer Chiefs coach rejected Stellenbosch FC job as Winelands club start life without Steve Barker

Gavin Hunt recently joined Stellenbosch to replace Steve Barker who left for Tanzanian giants Simba SC.       

Barker's exit was a surprise move, as he quit a team he had coached for close to a decade, including guiding them to Premier Soccer League promotion from the National First Division. 

While Barker left his role with the Cape Winelands side, Hunt had also vacated his position as Durban City coach, making him a free man in the market. 

The four-time PSL title winner has revealed that he initially turned down Stellenbosch when they approached him, before accepting the job later on.

“I believe football is always about timing, so Barker’s resignation was unexpected," said Hunt as per IOL. 

"With Steve leaving, they started interviewing coaches. Rob [Benadie, CEO] phoned me and asked, ‘Would you be interested in the job?’ I said no.    

“It went from there, and the process started. Rob said he’ll get back to me, and that was it.  The timing perspective was important because what happened there was very sudden; it happened so quickly. Sometimes a job is a timing thing, and you can’t really plan these things," he added.

“You don’t plan to move around a lot as a coach. Unfortunately, in my case, five or six clubs have been sold while I was there, and when that happens, you usually find yourself looking for a job.

“That’s just the reality of the business. I’ve had a lot of stability in my coaching career, except for the last three or four years, which have been a nightmare with me being up and down. But sometimes circumstances force that on you.”   

“If you look specifically at a club like Stellenbosch, you can see how advanced it is in terms of what surrounds the game," Hunt explained.

"The technology, the data analysis, and the way players are scouted and evaluated have been a real eye-opener for me.   

“The game is moving very fast, even though the basics of football never change. Stellenbosch are very advanced in those areas, which is important for the future, as long as you don’t lose sight of hard work, determination, and organisation," he added.

“After watching a lot of the games, I know we need to be better at both ends of the pitch. Where we are right now, we need to defend better; it’s basic.    

“Recently, I’ve worked a lot on that side of the team, while also trying to improve our play as we advance. The simple concept is to stop conceding goals and start scoring them," he explained.

"We need to create more chances as well. It sounds simple, but it’s something we must improve quickly because we’ve got tough games coming up.”

Under Barker, Stellenbosch carved themselves a reputation of contesting for the PSL title as well as Cup competitions. 

That saw them turning themselves into a top-four side and they reached the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final last season. 

This was despite the team remaining a highly competitive outfit despite losing top talent in recent years, including Antonio van Wyk, Zitha Kwinika, Fawaaz Basadien, Jayden Adams, Sihle Nduli, Andre de Jong and Iqraam Rayners.    

But Barker was credited for his sharp eye for talent in the transfer market and for swiftly replacing the players he lost with men who equally delivered. 

It is to be seen if Hunt will also be able to be that articulate when it comes to transfers.  

He arrives at Stellenbosch who are unusually battling against relegation and currently placed third from the bottom on the PSL table.