The coach of Stellenbosch FC, Gavin Hunt, compared the new player who scored a hat-trick, Kwan Platjies, to former South African national team and Kaizer Chiefs striker Mark Williams.
Kwan Platjies could make a splash in South African football by scoring a hat-trick in his debut match for Stellenbosch FC on Friday evening. However, the 20-year-old player did not appear suddenly; he is a product of the Stellenbosch FC Academy, where he has been a prolific goalscorer for the Stellies reserve team in recent seasons.
Furthermore, the young forward played a key role in the Maroons team winning the DStv Diski Challenge title in the 2023/24 season and scored an excellent goal in the NEXTGen tournament in the UK against Everton FC.
Nevertheless, he had to patiently wait for his chance, similar to the legend of Bafana Bafana, Mark Williams, in the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations final before coming into the spotlight. It is no surprise that Stellenbosch FC coach Gavin Hunt, who gave his first chance to the well-known Bafana Bafana scorer Benny McCarthy many years ago, compared him to Williams.
After Stellenbosch's 3-1 victory over Marumo Gallants, Hunt stated: 'I saw him last season. He is not a forward. This boy is a goalscorer. For me, that is a big difference. If I am going to say this, it will be in all the media—he is like Mark Williams.'
Hunt continued, describing his observations: 'They don't include him in attacks, but he can score goals. I saw him in pre-season. I thought, 'Good heavens,' and when I saw his name, I thought, 'Good heavens, I hope he is not a road runner...''
He emphasized the difference between player types: 'But he is a goalscorer, a natural goalscorer, and that is hard to find. There is a difference between a forward and a goalscorer: a forward holds the ball, can run and press, but this guy scores goals.' Hunt noted that the player scored goals daily in training, and he also demonstrated such productivity during pre-season.
Besides Platjies, coach Gavin Hunt also discovered winger Raul Daniels, who is being considered as a natural replacement for Devin Titus, who is leaving on the right flank. Hunt has always believed in youth and noted that young players are good.
Regarding Daniels, Hunt said: 'Raul. He is another one. I saw him play at Bay Hill last year. I thought he was my type of player. He is a winger. His crosses are fantastic. And I mean, he can deliver balls precisely where we need them. That is what we need.' He added that the arrival of such players brings a fresh wind to the team, and he gave Daniels his debut in the first match of the season, replacing Devin.
