Gavin Hunt hails hat-trick hero Quwan Plaatjies after sensational Stellenbosch debut - 'He’s not a striker, he’s a goal scorer'

Stellenbosch head coach Gavin Hunt was left in awe after watching 20-year-old Quwan Plaatjies dismantle Marumo Gallants with a clinical hat-trick on his senior debut at the Athlone Stadium on Friday night.

The performance was so striking that Hunt immediately drew parallels between the young prospect and one of South Africa’s most iconic finishers.

Hunt was quick to define the specific qualities that make Plaatjies a unique threat in the final third, distinguishing between general forward play and pure finishing ability.

"I saw him last season. He’s not a striker," Hunt told the media.

This boy, he’s a goal scorer. Now there’s a big difference for me. He’s like, if I’m going to say this, It’s going to be all over the media, like, Mark Williams."

For Hunt, the distinction between a modern striker and a traditional goal scorer is vital.

He believes that Plaatjies possesses a natural intuition that cannot be coached, making him a rare commodity in the South African top flight.

The coach noted that while other forwards offer different tactical advantages such as pressing and hold-up play, the 20-year-old is focused purely on the scoreboard.

"The build-ups, you don’t get him involved, but he can score goals," he explained.

"I saw him in pre-season. I thought, my God, and the name when I saw his name as well; I went, my God, hope he’s not a road runner…"

"But he’s a goal scorer, he’s a natural goal scorer, and that’s hard to find, and there’s a difference between a striker and a goal scorer – a striker holds it up, and he can run, and press, and this guy scores goals," Hunt continued.

"In training, he scores goals every day, and he went in pre-season.

"He was scoring goals, and I thought, yeah, tonight’s the night at home.

"I wouldn’t play him too much away yet. It’s a bit early for that."

Hunt also praised another youngster, Raoul Daniels, who impressed down the right wing and showed why he fits perfectly into the style of play the coach believes in.

"Daniels is my kind of winger; his crossing is fantastic and so accurate," the coach added.

"It's something to work with, but it's a real breath of fresh air to have these kinds of players around."