Chiefs have overachieved on continent — Hunt

Kaizer Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt says his charges have overachieved after their heroic 2-2 draw with Horoya AC on Saturday night in Conakry which saw them progress to the Caf Champions League quarterfinal stage.

Despite having not won anything yet this season, Hunt is satisfied to have reached this stage of the competition, especially since they hadn’t signed any players when he took over.

Chiefs went into the match well aware that they needed a draw or a victory to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Twice they came back from a goal down to force a 2-2 draw with goals from Daniel Cardoso and Khama Billiat confirming their place in the last eight, after finishing second in Group C with nine points.

“It was a huge effort, a great achievement for the club,” Hunt told the club media department after the match.

“This is the first time we got into the group stages and the first time we got out of the group as well.

“So it is a great achievement to be in the last eight. It will be tough with whoever we are going to draw now.

“But we will worry about that when we get into that.

“We’ve won nothing. We just got through.

“I mean this is a hell of a competition to play in.

“We’ve not signed a player. So if you have to look at that perspective this is a huge achievement so far.

“And we overachieved. To win league titles is the ultimate.

“I’ve won trophies in the past, and this is the flagship because this is the one which is on our radar now.

“We have good experience now, and let’s see who we draw and where we go.

“But we still need to get our domestic form right now. That’s the most important thing.”

With Chiefs signing players again in July after they complete their two-window transfer ban, Hunt is optimistic that he will start bringing in trophies in the coming seasons, now that he will have a say as to which players the club brings in.

“The club has brought me here to win trophies,” he said.

“They will win trophies with me.

“What we need to do is to look at our squad going forward and get the desire and attitude back,” he said.

“I mean, they were so close last year. But we need to be challenging for trophies across all fronts.

“That takes time with the squad, and we need to get people who want to be here and play, and the signings moving forward is key.

“If we stick together and are patient, I know we will be successful.

“We’ve not won anything yet, just one step at a time.”

Caf Champions League quarterfinals teams: Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns (both SA), Simba SC (Tanzania), Al Ahly (Egypt), CR Belouizdad, MC Alger (both Algeria), Wydad Casablanca (Morocco), and ES Tunis (Tunisia).

The draw is on April 30.

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