SuperSport United CEO Stan Matthews has suggested they won’t be signing Brian Onyango and Sifiso Hlanti who had been training with the club.
Hlanti, 34, is currently a free agent after his contract at Kaizer Chiefs expired, and worked under head coach Hunt during their time at the now-defunct Bidvest Wits.
Meanwhile, Onyango, 30, was available after parting ways with Mamelodi Sundowns, with both offering potential experience to the backline of SuperSport for the new season.
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“It means playing my best XI, [to win cups] I just told you my best XI [earlier] and it’s quite a formidable team if they fire on the day, we will beat… I didn’t have this XI last year and Pirates couldn’t beat us in the league, one win, one draw,” Matthews said to the media at the announcement of their ACDC sleeve sponsor on Tuesday.
“So for me, I’m not worried about the club, I am worried about the depth and what we’ll do over the course of this season because it’s not a quick fix, nobody can do a quick fix, we will shuffle players around and broaden the base of 24-28-year-old players in the club.
“It doesn’t matter to me, that’s our framework, I can’t keep bringing 30-year-old [and above players] into the club, there’s been opportunities to sign Hlanti and Onyango, very good players, very good guys.
“Hlanti would add a lot of value for us and experience at left-back, but I can’t bring in another 30-year-olds into my club, I’m bringing in 24-28-year-old players that have big resale value to whoever offers me the best deal and those who can stay with the club if need be and still be in the prime or their career.
“Not up and coming or over the hill, that’s where we have landed ourselves in the last couple of years in recalibrating our club. So that’s something Gavin and I are working closely on and we’ll make sure it happens.
“In fairness to Gav, which coach would have given Shandre as much game time as he got last season to enable his move, so to me, I’m fully supportive of most things Gavin is doing with the club, very supportive… I want to help him build a stronger, competitive squad as we can.”
SuperSport have roped in Pogiso Sanoka, Vincent Pule, Nyiko Mobbie and Ricardo Goss on loan ahead of the new campaign.
The likes of Keanin Ayer, Brooklyn Poggenpoel and Thakasani Mbanjwa also look set to join the club before the start of the new league campaign.
