Hunt explains why Sundowns will find it tough to defend league title

Experienced coach Gavin Hunt has offered a bold prediction for the 2025/26 Betway Premiership season, suggesting the league title race will be far more competitive than in recent years.

Hunt, whose newly-promoted side Durban City FC has started the season with two straight wins, believes that defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns will face a much tougher challenge due to their demanding schedule.

Hunt, the last coach to prevent Sundowns from winning the league when he led Bidvest Wits to the title in 2016/17, is confident that his former team would have remained the top contenders had the club not been sold. “Bidvest Wits, we would have won the league again; there’s not even a debate,” he stated. “We were the only opposition, I thought, for them.”

Now at Durban City, Hunt believes the current season presents a unique set of circumstances that will level the playing field. The 61-year-old explained that Sundowns’ packed schedule—including a shortened pre-season due to the FIFA Club World Cup—will test their endurance and depth.

The Brazilians are set to compete in multiple domestic and continental tournaments, including the CAF Champions League, MTN8, Carling Knockout Cup, and Nedbank Cup.

Adding to their challenge, a majority of their key players are integral to Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad, which has World Cup qualifiers in September and October before the AFCON tournament in December. While other top clubs like Orlando Pirates, Stellenbosch FC, and Kaizer Chiefs also have busy schedules, they don’t have as many players burdened with national team duties.

“The gap will never be as wide, like 15, 16 points,” Hunt said. “Their players are going to AFCON, and most of them will also play the World Cup qualifiers. So, the guys at the top there must be licking their lips. It’s going to be a challenge for them to win it again.”

Hunt concluded by reiterating his belief that this season will be a tight race for the league title. “The league will be much, much closer this year because of the program they [Sundowns] had,” he said.