Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt said that he will look to hang on to his best players, after clinching the Absa Premiership trophy following the 1-0 loss to Kaizer Chiefs.

The two sides seemed to be heading for a stalemate at the FNB Stadium, but Gustavo Paez ensured that Amakhosi secured maximum points when he swooped home George Lebese’s cross into the area in additional time.

Hunt, who was not too pleased with his side’s result, was extremely happy to finally get his hands on the league trophy, which had been eluding him for the last four years at Wits.

“The season has been tough. If it was easy everyone was going to do it,” he said in post-match comments.

“We did it and where we go on from here is another tough question.

“We have to go in again and compete again. There’ll be more teams in the frame who can win the league. This is the ultimate prize for any club and for us as a club that has not won the league in 96 years, its a big step,” he added.

The former SuperSport United mentor also revealed that winning the league title serves as a great farewell to 38-year-old Dillon Sheppard, who called time on his 21-year career in football.

“You know the send off for Sheppard today. He started with me as a 17-year-old and leaves as, I don’t know, 40 years. I wish him well, he has been a great asset to this game. What a professional he has been in my time.

“The game is about the squad, getting the players with good attitudes who want to work and improve.

“It’s not always about the ability sometimes. It’s about good attitude. We have a good bunch here, can they go to the next level?

“We will try to hang on to our best players the best we can. As you know, the market is small and people keep throwing ridiculous money to the players.

“We gotta be brave enough and make the right decisions for the club. It’s about the club and the people involved. I’m just a small part of it,” he concluded.

–  This story originally appeared on SoccerClub.co.za