Stellenbosch FC's head coach Gavin Hunt is left stunned by the mass exodus of players during the ongoing Premier Soccer League (PSL) off-season transfer window. While the 2026/27 season is set to kick off on August 1, many Betway Premiership clubs are still finalizing their business deals.
Hunt has observed an unusual trend where several teams have released and signed more than 10 players each. He attributes this phenomenon largely to budget constraints and financial muscle. 'I have never seen such player movement in the PSL with every club,' Hunt stated. 'Orlando Pirates let go of 17 players, we let go of 20, TS Galaxy must be more. It obviously has to do with budget, let's be honest.'
The coach highlighted that this aggressive player movement is making it difficult for teams to prepare adequately for the upcoming season. 'It's very difficult to keep hold of your players,' Hunt explained. 'So, rebuild all the time, pick a new squad. As we talk, one player just left now [Thapelo Mokobodi to Pirates], tomorrow will be another one.'
Hunt also noted that pre-season preparations are being disrupted due to late arrivals of new players. 'Two days away from the first game, it's not easy,' he said. 'You can't have proper preparations during pre-season because players are coming and going, players are coming in later.'
Stellenbosch FC has had a significant number of player releases at the end of the previous season, reflecting the challenges faced by many clubs. Hunt explained that the release decisions were based on various factors including contract expirations, better offers from other teams, and sales. 'The release of players is due to some players being out of contract, some have got better offers elsewhere, some got sold - everyone had a case why they left,' he added.
Hunt acknowledged the difficulty in balancing the squad while replacing key players. 'You can throw all kids in there but you will struggle, we don't want to do that, so you've got to get the balance right. So, that's an ongoing battle, maybe it will take us another window to get ourselves head above water a little bit.'
Stellenbosch FC is set to begin their new campaign with a match against AmaZulu FC at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban, given the lack of venues in the Western Cape.
