Four-Time League Winner Explains Why Sundowns Will Struggle to Defend Title

Gavin Hunt, head coach of Durban City FC, has a bold prediction for the 2025/26 Betway Premiership, stating that this season's title race will be much closer.

Hunt is the last coach to prevent Mamelodi Sundowns from winning the league, having led Bidvest Wits to the title in the 2016/17 season before the Brazilians began their eight-year winning streak.

He further asserts that he would have continued to challenge Sundowns had Bidvest Wits not been sold. Hunt's newly-promoted Durban City side has had a perfect start to the season, winning both of their opening matches.

“Bidvest Wits, we would have won the league again, there’s not even a debate, we would have won the league again,” said Hunt. “And we were the only opposition, I thought for them [Sundowns]. But yeah, that was then.”

With four league titles to his name, Hunt believes the new Betway Premiership campaign will be a “much closer” contest. The “Citizens” mentor stated that Sundowns' demanding fixture list will make it difficult for the Tshwane giants to successfully defend their title.

‘THE LEAGUE WILL BE MUCH CLOSER THIS YEAR'

“You have to look at the whole thing, I think the gap will never be as wide, like 15, 16 points, because of the progamme they [Sundowns] had last year and a half,” added Hunt.

“You look at their players…and I think they still have the quality to win it, they should win it, but it’s gonna be much tougher. Their players are going to AFCON, and most of them will also play the World Cup qualifiers.

“So, the guys [other league contenders] at the top there must be licking their lips, not us [Durban City]. But for them, it’s gonna be a challenge to win it again, if they do it again, which they can, it will be fantastic.

“So, the league will be much, much closer this year because of the programme they had.”