Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt has heaped praise on counterpart Ernst Middendorp for what he has accomplished with his squad since joining Kaizer Chiefs back in December 2018.

The Glamour Boys are currently sitting at the summit of the Absa Premiership standings, with 48 points after 22 games played so far this season.

The Clever Boys, meanwhile, are placed sixth on the league table with 38 points from 21 games, trailing the Soweto giants by 10 points with nine games remaining in the season.

However, all football is suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa, which has forced a nationwide lockdown period.

The four-time league-winning coach has since commended Middendorp on how he has taken his Amakhosi squad to the next level since taking over as head coach.

‘I think they made one or two good signings. And I think what they’ve done well this year at Chiefs is found a way to play with the players that he [Middendorp] has got‚’ Hunt told SowetanLive.

‘They do play a little bit differently to most teams in South Africa – the way that the team is set up. And that’s all credit to Ernst and his coaching staff.

‘That’s experience. And he’s got that experience. I mean he’s been around for ages‚ and he knows what to do and not to do‚ and he’s proved again this year he knows what’s happening.

‘To play with those two strikers [Samir Nurkovic, Leonardo Castro] up front the way he does – obviously, it’s what he’s got.

‘I’m sure he’d want to play with wingers‚ which he doesn’t have so he uses the full backs‚ blah blah.

‘I know they’ve been criticised for the style‚ but I haven’t even looked at that. I just look at the points‚ and say right now they’re doing well and they’re the team to catch.

‘If you look at the old Kaizer Chiefs teams‚ do they have that same swagger and same guile? No, they don’t.

‘When Stuart [Baxter] was there he won the league playing counter-attack football. And fair play – he’s won trophies‚ you can’t take it away from them.

‘Everybody wants to play like Barcelona or Real Madrid. But you’ve got to have the players to do that.

‘The bottom line is you’ve got to find a way to get the best out of what you’ve got.

‘You’ve got to give Ernst and his team credit this season for where they are.

‘How they’ve got there – the first games where the goals were disallowed and the referees – that’s gone.’