By
SuperSport United are not likely to call on new striker Samir Nurkovic soon with the player’s work permit delayed.
Following their 1-0 defeat to Marumo Gallants in the Betway Premiership on Friday night, coach Gavin Hunt was asked why the Serbian international did not make the match day squad, at which point the media officer replied that it was a “registration” issue holding Nurkovic back.
Hunt forecasted he’d only be able to pick Nurkovic in January.
The former Kaizer Chiefs forward joined Matsatsantsa as a free agent earlier this month after surprisingly leaving TS Galaxy in September even though he was their top goal scorer with 10 goals from 29 matches.
Gallants beating a SuperSport side with a blunt attack was yet again evidence why Hunt was so desperate to get Nurkovic, a player he worked with at Chiefs, through the door as soon as possible.
In his reaction to dropping all three points at the Lucas Moripe Stadium, their rivals winning via a penalty from midfielder Edgar Manaka, the coach was – as expected – very deflated in his answers.
“I thought we had some clear-cut opportunities that we did not take, they got a goal and sometimes that’s what happens. That’s the luck of the draw with the penalty, but was that a penalty? I don’t know, the ref didn’t give it. I wish it would have happened to us – that’s never happened to us,” Hunt explained.
SuperSport have now only managed two wins out of nine league matches and the coach believes injuries are still part of the reason why his team has not yet gone into full gear with the half-way mark closing in.
Hunt also played down the likelihood Matsatsantsa would beef up the squad in January when the transfer window opens.
“We’ve got to try get the ones back that have just come back and get them fitter – there’s two or three of them. That’s the first thing. But we have to be better on the ball, which we did not do [against Gallants],” he added.
