WATCH | 'Not the truth' – Gavin Hunt disputes Teko Modise's claims about his 2007 exit from SuperSport United
Former SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt Former SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt has disputed Teko Modise's version of events that led to the star midfielder's exit from the Tshwane club. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
Former SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt says he disagrees with Teko Modise’s side of the story about how he was sold to Orlando Pirates.
A month ago, Modise told the Izinja zeGame podcast that he was sold by SuperSport because he did not fit into Hunt’s plans. Modise left SuperSport in 2007, and the club went on to win three consecutive PSL titles.
But, according to Hunt, selling the attacking midfielder was not his idea as he was planning to build the team around him. “I’ll sit in the media and I’ll listen to Teko talk and he talks the biggest load of nonsense because that is not the truth,” Hunt said when speaking on Apex Sports International.
“We played a pre-season game in Australia he won Man of the Match. I was like ‘We’re going to build a team around this guy’. We get back and we train for a week or two.
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However, after returning from the tour, Hunt was informed by the club chairman that they had completed the deal to sell Modise to Pirates.
“… And then the story comes out – I did not want him because of his style of play and then he comes out and says he did not fit into the methods. But that was the fittest he’s ever been in his life. That pre-season he did set him on his path.
“I made him work a little bit harder, put more into him and yes, maybe we clashed in the training ground, and he did not like it or whatever. But to say I did not want him…”
After completing the move to Pirates, Modise went on to become the best player in South Africa, racking up goals and individual honours for fun. However, the league title remained elusive. As soon as he left Pirates for Mamelodi Sundowns, the Sea Robbers won back-to-back titles.
It wasn’t until the 2013/14 season, when he was at Sundowns, that Modise his first of only two league titles.
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