Is Kaizer Chiefs' Hunt the man to stop Mamelodi Sundowns coach Mosimane's dominance?

The appointment of Gavin Hunt as new Kaizer Chiefs head coach is a serious statement of intent by the Soweto giants.

The experienced tactician has been brought in to replace German coach Ernst Middendorp, who was dismissed by the club last week.

The Soweto giants gave Middendorp his marching orders after he failed to deliver the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) title.

Chiefs led the race for the title for the better part of the season, but they slipped up on the last day of the season and Mamelodi Sundowns pipped them to the league trophy.

Therefore, Amakhosi's trophy drought continues having lifted their last piece of silverware in 2015 after clinching the PSL trophy under Stuart Baxter. 

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It is quite clear Hunt has been brought in to end Sundowns' dominance in South African football under the accomplished Pitso Mosimane.

The 2019/20 season saw the Brazilians secure their maiden domestic treble in the PSL era having lifted the league title, Telkom Knockout Cup and Nedbank Cup in a single campaign.

Masandawana have clinched five of their last seven league trophies and their most recent PSL championship was their third successive title as they continued their domestic supremacy.

Furthermore, Sundowns have lifted two Nedbank Cups and two Telkom Knockout Cups since Mosimane was appointed head coach in December 2012. 

In Hunt, Chiefs have secured the services of a coach, who is on the same level as Mosimane and they are widely considered to be two of the best coaches in the country.

Kaizer Chiefs

The Cape Town-born tactician is a proven winner having won trophies with Moroka Swallows, SuperSport United and Bidvest Wits. 

Hunt guided an unfancied Swallows side to the 2004 Absa Cup (Nedbank Cup) triumph and the Dube Birds became a permanent fixture in the top eight under his guidance.

A move to SuperSport United came in 2007 and he built a formidable team which stunned the whole country by clinching three consecutive league championships between 2008 and 2010.

Hunt ended his five-year stint with Matsatsantsa in style as he guided the team to the 2012 Nedbank Cup triumph before moving to Bidvest Wits.

The former Hellenic defender transformed the Clever Boys into perennial league title contenders as they went head-to-head with Sundowns for the PSL trophy and they won it in 2017.

It was a historic achievement by Hunt as he became the first coach to win the league title in Wits' 96-year history and he also led the team to MTN8 and Telkom Knockout Cup successes.

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Hunt definitely has what it takes to win trophies with Chiefs and restore the four-time PSL champions' glory having signed a three-year deal with the club. 

However, the 2016/17 PSL Coach of the Season will have to do things his own way at the Naturena-based giants in order to bring back the glory days. 

Chiefs need to back Hunt in the transfer market and get the players he needs for the type of football he will be looking to play at Amakhosi once the club's transfer ban ends or gets lifted.

The four-time PSL title-winning coach has worked his magic at his previous clubs while enjoying unwavering support from management and this will be key to his success at Chiefs.