Football
KweséESPN Reporter 6y

Gavin Hunt planning Bidvest Wits overhaul as Nigeria trip looms

Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt is intending to overhaul his squad at the conclusion of the PSL season and has revealed that the Clever Boys' resources are stretched as they attempt to battle on multiple fronts.

Wits are away at Nigerian heavyweights Enyimba in a CAF Confederation Cup Playoff Round second-leg tie on Wednesday, with the two sides having drawn 1-1 in Johannesburg in the first leg.

As well as their continental responsibilities, the reigning South African champions are also coming to the conclusion of a testing Absa Premiership campaign, having failed miserably in their title defence.

After winning the PSL title for the first time in their history, Wits have struggled to maintain their domestic momentum, and sit tenth on 32 points with four games to play.

"It has been a poor season for us," Hunt told journalists, as reported by the Independent. "We needed an overhaul [of the squad], we didn't do it.

"We'll do it now. We need a positive response in the remaining matches because people are playing for their careers."

In the meantime, Wits are focusing on salvaging their continental campaign.

They were eliminated from the CAF Champions League in the First Round after falling to a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat by Angola's Primeiro de Agosto, but could yet reach the Confed Cup group stage if they can down Enyimba.

"The trip to Nigeria doesn't help us, because we don't have a squad of players to go on a couple of fronts and then come back and play on Sunday," added Hunt. "We go on Monday and then come back from Nigeria on Friday.

"We don't even know where we are going," he continued. "It's crazy.

"That's what is in front of us. We had a great start in the league in the second half of the season, but we then ran out of legs and numbers in certain positions.

"We've had to change here and there and that hasn't helped us. Africa hasn't helped us because we don't have the resources to go across all fronts. It is a problem."

Wits head into Wednesday's clash having won just once in their last seven matches. They were defeated 2-0 at Mamelodi Sundowns - their would-be successors as champions - on Saturday.

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