Muhsin Ertugral: South Africa needs a strong Ajax

Muhsin Ertugral: South Africa needs a strong Ajax
Tashreeq Morris of Ajax Cape Town evades challenge from Siphesihle Ndlovu of Maritzburg United during the Absa Premiership 2017/18 football match between Ajax Cape Town and Maritzburg United at Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town on 5 January 2017 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

by Phumzile Ngcatshe

Monday Jan 08, 2018. 17:00

New Ajax Cape Town coach Muhsin Ertugral believes South African needs the ‘Urban Warriors’ to be at their best.

Ertugral has returned to Ajax for his fourth spell in charge of the club, having been hired at the end of last year to resurrect the struggling Cape team.

Ajax are currently second-last on the Absa Premiership log and looking like strong candidates for relegation.

“We have in the country Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, the big teams, but Ajax is an important trademark to South African football,” Ertugral is quoted by Kick-Off.

“I think South Africa needs Ajax to be at their best. Why? Because Ajax is one of the biggest player-producing teams in the country, and this, combined with my thinking, was one of the reasons I joined this club which means a lot to me.

“So hopefully we can again unearth these talents, and I’m hoping the talents that already are here will soon play attractive football once again. But for now, getting points is more important than attractive football.”

The 58-year-old admits that getting the team out of its current strife will be no easy task, but he is adamant that the talent at his disposal will shine through in the end.

“There is a lot of work to do, if you look at our situation on the log, and we have to go up,” he said. “But there is a lot of talent in the team – the talent is always there.

“But yes, we can change things, otherwise I would not have taken this job. This club has major potential.

“If you look at each player individually, they are really good, skilful and positive players, but in the end, football functions in a certain group form, where everything must be in harmony.

“And that, at the moment, is not there, so we need to find the right combinations, which takes a bit of time.”




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