Chumani Butsaka was pivotal in Stellenbosch FC getting their foot on the ball against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening.
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Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt has heaped praise on super-sub Chumani Butsaka for his starring role in the crucial 2-1 victory over Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Hunt responded decisively to an early onslaught from Chiefs by hauling off Wayde Jooste after just 34 minutes and replacing the former Orlando Pirates defender with Butsaka.
The former Ajax Cape Town and Cape Town Spurs youth development product made an immediate impact as he provided Stellenbosch with greater shape to negate Chiefs’ attacking forays.
“I thought we needed to change the shape in the midfield. Because they, you know, they keep their players wide. But they keep dropping short in midfield and we never had enough numbers in there,” Hunt said.
“We never got enough pressure on the ball. That's why they were dropping the ball in behind us.
"So, we got to get a bit more pressure in the middle third of the pitch. And we had to do that. So, obviously, I changed the shape of the midfield.
“And, you know, obviously, took one out the back as well. And, you know, we went to something that we haven't really worked on to give us a better opportunity to get a bit more width and, obviously, try and get a bit more forward ball.
“Because, you know, we couldn't get our foot on the ball in the first half. There's no two ways about it.
And they picked up everything. Because they were overloading us in there. So, sometimes you've got to see it early and do it, you know.”
Hunt felt Busaka was integral to achieving this as Stellies rallied back from a goal down to score two second half goals through Langelihle Phili and Devon Titus to claim the three valuable points.
“I thought the player that changed the game tonight was Chumani,” he said. “I thought he was the difference in the game, in both teams, in the second half.
“And there's another one, you know, really good player and somebody that can do so much more for us.”
The much-needed victory moved Stellenbosch up to the 11th place on the log with 19 - five points clear of the relegation zone.