Durban City's Gavin Hunt concerned over loss of identity in SA football

IOL News

6 days ago

Veteran coach Gavin Hunt will guide Durban City from the technical area in their debut season of the Betway Premiership. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Durban City head coach Gavin Hunt has expressed deep concern over the continued erasure of South African football's identity, following yet another major club sale — this time involving his former side, SuperSport United, now renamed Siwelele FC.
Hunt, one of the most successful coaches in the local game, guided SuperSport to three consecutive league titles between 2008 and 2010 and is credited with nurturing a generation of top-flight talent during his time at the Tshwane-based outfit.
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The sale and rebranding of the club is personal for the veteran mentor — and symptomatic, he believes, of a wider issue plaguing the game.
'Club names should not change, that's the first thing I think is important,' Hunt said.
'If people buy clubs, then they should stay in the city the club is from and carry on from there.'
This latest move follows a familiar pattern in South African football — Bidvest Wits, another of Hunt's former clubs and the 2016/17 league champions under his leadership, was also sold and dissolved in 2020, cutting ties with a century-long footballing heritage.
'You cannot build a support base, a stadium or training facilities if you're constantly uprooting clubs,' he added. 'So, if you buy a club, leave it where it is and keep the name so we won't have this [loss of history].'
Hunt drew parallels with European giants, where foreign ownership rarely results in such radical overhauls.
'When the (Emirati owners or Saudi owners) buy Manchester City or the Americans buy Manchester United and Liverpool, they remain who they are,' he explained. There's no identities being lost — but we've lost our identity in South African football.'
The coach warned that this constant shifting is making it harder for fans to connect with teams, particularly when clubs are moved to entirely different provinces or communities.
'People can't align themselves with these clubs because there's no identity and it's very sad to witness,' he said.
Currently leading Durban City in the Betway First Division, Hunt is once again at the helm of a club with historic roots. And as someone who has spent decades shaping the local football narrative, he believes the game must return to prioritising long-term vision over short-term deals.
While club sales may sometimes be necessary for financial survival, Hunt argues that preserving legacy, geography, and identity should never be compromised.
Because for Hunt, football is more than just 90 minutes on a pitch — it's about building something that lives on for generations.