SuperSport United coach Gavin Hunt made clear his disappointment at his own club’s management after they failed to extend the contract of promising defender Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, allowing Kaizer Chiefs to gazump them and sign a pre contract with the Botswana captain.

It is an error estimated to cost the club in the region of R20-million as the value of the centre back has increased exponentially since he first joined SuperSport United in 2020.

Chief announced last week that they had signed a four-year deal with the 24-year-old. Ditlhokwe had only six months left on his contract, thereby allowing other clubs to do a deal with him. It came as a major surprise that SuperSport had not secured a longer deal with the centre back earlier.

“Obviously I’m very upset about TT leaving, because this should never have happened,” said Hunt, who was at first reluctant to answer the questions about the player, saying. “Do you really want me to tell … do you want me to get fired?”

Hunt said it was a major disappointment to lose a player who was projected to get a lot better in the coming years.

“I wasn’t here but I know what should have happened and didn’t happen. It’s very disappointing to lose a player who is 24 and will be at his best when he gets to 30, because he’s a centre back, they improve as they get older. And he’s improved since I’ve been here.

“These past few months he has improved immensely. He’s got two, three goals this year, which he hasn’t done before, which we’ve been working on that. He’s defended well, and benefitted from all the work that other coaches have done with him here before. He was he’s been a rock for the club. So it’s really disappointing, but I’m not at the coalface with those type of things,” added Hunt.