Throwback – How Wits Won the 2016-17 Title

Now that the 2019-20 season is over, some 402 days after it began, the PSL says goodbye to Bidvest Wits after 99 years of existence. With Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila buying The Clever Boys’ franchise and no current plans to continue the team in the lower divisions (if that can even be counted as the same club anyway), we look to memorialise their 2016-17 league title under the tutelage of Gavin Hunt.

Background

Coming into this season, Wits had finished the 2015-16 season in second place behind a recording-breaking Sundowns featuring the sensational CBD trio. Downs ended that season a mammoth 14 points ahead of Wits but that did not tell the full story though as Hunt’s charges had sat just four points off Downs as the sides faced each other in Round 25.

However, Sundowns won that game and then took 13 points from their final five games to give a slightly misleading final league table. Sundowns were not going to rest on their laurels and despite losing Ramahlwe Mphahlele and Bongani Zungu from their squad (and Keagan Dolly in January), they added Ricardo Nascimento, Thapelo Morena, Anele Ngcongca and, crucially, Bidvest Wits’ captain, Sibusiso Vilakazi to their ranks.

Gavin Hunt, meanwhile, had a typically busy season of transfers, making a mammoth 15 additions across the two transfer windows with 20 departures. Whilst there have been some glaring blind spots in more recent transfer windows, Hunt made some telling signings for that season. In came Gabadinho Mhango, Darren Keet, Thabang Monare, Sifiso Hlanti, Xola Mlambo, Eleazar Rodgers and interestingly, both Cuthbert Malajila and Mogokolodi Ngele from Mamelodi Sundowns on loan deals. Neither were a part of Pitso Mosimane’s plans. Few transfer windows in PSL history can compare to the quality brought in by Wits ahead of that campaign. Then Granwald Scott arrived in January too.

Great “Eight” Klate

With so many new signings, Gavin Hunt had to find a way put out a balance sided that could maximise the talents on the attacking players. His decision was to use a 4-3-3 formation initially with Daine Klate, previously an out-and-out winger, being used as a number eight on the left of the midfield trio. Gabadinho Mhango was used as a left-sided wide forward as opposed to playing as a striker and this immediately caused opposition big problems.

Klate’s role was crucial as he found space between-the-lines, covered Mhango defensively and linked up with Hlanti when the fullback bombed forward. There was a really effective triangle on that side which many teams struggled to deal with.

One of the best nights of my career with an index of 316 playing as 1 of 2 no10 in a 4:3:3 formation. The Application, Intensity, Passion and Desire was ?? from the entire team, it makes the individuals shine within a team…

— Daine Klate (@Klatey7)

Although it wasn’t a prolific scoring season for Klate (scoring only three league goals) and he only started two of the final 10 league matches (partly due to a suspension after being sent off against Sundowns after a 12-minute substitute appearance), his form is the first half of the campaign is still the abiding memory of that season tactically.

Gavin Hunt spoke about his relationship with Klate after the title was secured with his goal in a 2-0 win against Polokwane City, that day from his old role as a winger:

My relationship with him is my size eight foot up his backside. He waned a little bit this year‚ he knows that‚ then he came back a little bit. And then tonight is the game and he did it – because that’s where he’s good. Actually, Daine shouldn’t train Monday to Friday – he should just come Saturdays‚ because in my opinion he’s better (that way). His family has moved down home and he lost his way a bit off the field. Now he’s okay. I’ve told him‚ he’s done more for me than anybody in my life. But if he doesn’t do it‚ he’s out. If he loses the hunger‚ he won’t play.

“Stoke City”

That season, Wits were not pulling up any trees where passing statistics were concerned. They rarely had more possession than their opponents and were a long way down the passing leaderboards. However, they had a greater proportion of their own possession in the final third than any other team. Hunt’s philosophy was clear – get the ball forward and wide as often as possible to dribble or get quality crosses into the box with men arriving to attack deliveries. Defensively, the side were very aggressive in the air and in their challenges in midfield.

The coach’s famous saying was that he only signs players who could score goals, make goals or stop goals and that certainly rang true in their playing style. With Eleazar Rodgers leading the line at the start of the season and then the bustling aerially strong, James Keene from January onwards (after he returned from long-term injury), Wits always had a focal point with genuine width to their play. Elias Pelembe, Sifiso Myeni, Klate and Hlanti rained crosses into the box, while the squad was absolutely stacked with wide options as all of Vincent Pule, Dillon Sheppard and even February addition, Ejike Uzoenyi were also on the books.

When Sundowns were beaten in May in a crucial fixture – Downs had come into the game leading Wits by two points – Pitso Mosimane compared Hunt’s team to Stoke City in his post-match interview.

It’s a different game this one. For us to come here and win we have to have the best people. And I don’t want to lose players. I don’t want to lose Khama (Billiat) and Percy (Tau) now because I’ve got five more games. Have you been to Stoke? This is what happens in Stoke. I budget to lose this one here every year. Because I know what’s going to happen. You know their football here… The way they go out‚ and they press you not to win. Do I want to play like that for 30 games? No, I don’t. I have to play football. I think‚ to be honest‚ Wits wanted it more than us in the first half. They were more hungry. They fought.

One way that Wits were similar to Stoke City was their proficiency on set plays. They had some excellent routines and really good delivery from corners from freekicks. They scored a mammoth 21 goals from dead-ball situations (comparable to Kaizer Chiefs this season!) – nine from lateral freekicks, five from corners and an astonishing seven from throw-ins, both long throws and routines leading to a cross.

The comments from Pitso Mosimane regarding the difficulty of trips to the narrow, claustrophobic Bidvest Stadium seemed to hold some truth when we look at Wits’ home record at the time that they sealed the title (the table excludes round 30 once the league was already decided).

Titans at the Back

After the arrival of Darren Keet, Wits had two outstanding goalkeepers with Moeneeb Josephs already at the club. Initially, the latter was the number one and he started the first three matches of the season. A red card in the third game saw him suspended and Keet took over the jersey and didn’t let it go.

He started 20 of the next 21 league games, keeping 10 clean sheets. With his ability in the air on crosses, Wits were an extremely difficult side to break down. However, Josephs eventually got another chance in the side in late April. His form was so good in keeping clean sheets in wins against Highlands Park, Mamelodi Sundowns, Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United that he won the Absa Premiership player of the month in May.

Hunt hailed the competition between the two ‘keepers and the extra depth was certainly a big factor as Josephs had only been backed up by two youngsters in Jethren Barr and Thakasani Mbanjwa for the previous season.

Of course, in front of Keet or Josephs was a fantastic defensive unit. Thulani Hlatshwayo captained the side brilliantly alongside Buhle Mkhwanazi. The duo formed an amazing, complimentary pairing who rightly shared the trophy lifting moment. The two central defenders also contributed seven league goals between them. Nazeer Allie and Hlanti were excellent at fullback, whilst Reeve Frosler emerged to start 11 games as a teenager in the second half of the season, keeping eight clean sheets!

In midfield, the side had a plethora of holding midfield options with the ability to break up play. Hunt’s sides are masters at having excellent screening players to press and win second balls and no team has an easy time finding space between the lines against Wits. Ben Motshwari and Thabang Monare were the most used duo but Granwald Scott contributed a lot after he arrived and all three played together in a destructive trio to beat Sundowns in that crucial clash in May with Motshwari scoring the goal.

Attacking Flair

In attack, Wits have a very fast attack to supplement their target man, whether that was Rodgers, Keene or the on-loan Malajila. Mhango’s season had some superb moments on the left flank, but his most impressive form came from December onwards. After winning five of their first six league games, Wits hit a tough run of DLLD in the league. After that, Mhango and Phakamani Mahlambi – returning from a torn cruciate ligament after 10 months out – were on absolute fire.

Wits first beat Free State Stars 3-1, then beat Ajax 5-0, won 2-1 away at Pirates, beat Baroka 5-0 and Bloemfontein Celtic 3-1 across a seven game run. Mhango netted six goals and Mahlambi four during that spell with the latter almost unplayable and looking like he had never been injured (it helped that his brother had donated some hamstring fibre to use in his knee surgery). Mahlambi’s impact that season was sensational. In just 741 minutes of action, he provided six goals and six assists as teams just could not stop him (and twice fouled him for penalties, which he then converted himself).

MTN8 triumph

Looking back on that title winning season and not mentioning that Wits actually won the double that year with the MTN8 crown also secured, would be remiss. Wits beat Pirates, Cape Town City (who had been title challengers in their first season of existence) and Mamelodi Sundowns en route to the trophy. The final was the crowning glory though and perhaps the very best performance Wits produced under Gavin Hunt to thrash Sundowns 3-0.

With the game won, Wits began to showboat. But this was not the unchallenged Kasi Flava often seen but incredible ball mastery to keep possession against Sundowns’ indignant pressing. The below link shows how sharply and confidently Wits moved the ball. The hero that day? Daine Klate, who netted a brace and set up the other for Rodgers.

Summary

That title winning season for Wits, in their 96th year of existence, summed up the best of Gavin Hunt as a coach: building a team that is united, extremely difficult to beat, that plays to their strengths and doesn’t overelaborate, and one that is packed with experience, leadership and big characters. Having said all that, these were no plucky underdogs. Wits were one of the best-funded clubs in the PSL in recent years with Bidvest said to be ploughing in R70m per season. That is what allowed the club to pay massive salaries and have a very large squad every year, even if actual transfer fees were very rarely paid and instead free agents were targeted.

Hunt showed himself to be a great talent-spotter in terms of recruitment, even if some outstanding players were cast aside in the last three years and are currently proving him wrong at other PSL clubs. But, despite such strong financial backing, young players were always given a real chance. That Reeve Frosler and Phakamani Mahlambi truly excelled in the title-winning campaign by starting plenty of matches in the second half of the season is testament to that. Rowan Human, Solly Khunyedi and several other academy graduates have received a real opportunity from the coach too over the course of this current season. That is perhaps the legacy of The Clever Boys… so many actual boys were given a chance to fulfil their dreams.

Perhaps Hunt’s word in his post-match interview after a recent match against Bloemfontein Celtic sums up just how much respect the Wits players and staff have shown the badge despite the devastating news of the club’s sale:

Commendable effort again, you’ve got players who’ve got no jobs in a week’s time, playing like that for me. I can’t ask for more. I say to the players every week, if you pay your dues in football and you’re honest with the game, the game will reward you. And hopefully, please God, they all get football clubs. The way they’re playing, I hope the game rewards them and I hope it rewards all of us because we want to stay in the game. The effort they’re giving me is fantastic.

Well done Wits and Gavin Hunt, you will be sorely missed. Nakanjani!