SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt has shared an incredible story of how he found a perfect replacement for former Bafana Bafana star Teko Modise.
Having just joined Matsatsantsa in 2007, Hunt assembled a squad to compete for the 2007/08 season with Teko as their key player. A few weeks before the start of the season, he learned that ‘The General’ was sold to Orlando Pirates.
Speaking on the Sports Night Amplified, Gavin Hunt retold the story of how Elias Pelembe came to United as Modise’s replacement.
“Pelembe [Elias]. An unbelievable story. He came to us on On, ‘cause we, that was the first year. So we go away pre-season and Teko Modise is my best player. He’s our best player. I don’t wanna lose him. I mean, are you crazy?”
Hunt said he was unhappy with his chairman informed him that Modise was leaving the club.
“My chairman phones, he said, listen, we have to do the deal. I said, what’s he do? Where is he? What you, you mad or what? He’s our best player. No, he’s going Pirates. Oh. Oh, thanks very much.
“I’m a week away from the season, but I’ve got someone for you.”
Gavin Hunt was skeptical of Pelembe
“I said, who? He said, no, he’s from Mozambique. I said, Mozambique. They fishermen there, they catch fish there. They’re gonna play now jokingly. You know what I’m saying?. Yeah, yeah. They don’t care. They don’t play.”
“Anyway, this guy comes on his legs the size of toothpicks and he’s like two, he’s 45 kilos. He can’t speak English. I said, oh,” Gavin Hunt added.
The former Hellenic said that the Mozambican winger proved him wrong within the first 45 minutes of training.
“Anyway, comes on the training ground [and] I ran off the training ground after 45 minutes to the phone. I said, sign this guy. Sign this guy!”
“That year he couldn’t speak English. I used to have a full go. He said, thank you coach. All he said to me was the whole year. Thank you coach. Thank you Coach. I said, stay here, do this. Okay. Thank you coach.”
Gavin Hunt went to win three league titles in a row with SuperSport and Pelembe was one of his key players.
Was Teko’s departure to Pirates a blessing in disguise?
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