Mkhize Suffers Disturbing Nightmares Following Ertugral’s Appointment
The appointment of Muhsin Ertugral as head coach for Cape Town City has generated a range of responses within the club, particularly from captain Thami Mkhize.
Mkhize and Ertugral share a complicated history from their time at Golden Arrows, which led the former Bafana Bafana defender to depart for Maritzburg United (now known as Durban City) in 2013.
During the 2016/17 season, as Mkhize was close to finalizing a dream move to Orlando Pirates, it was reported that Ertugral, who coached Pirates at the time, intervened at the last moment, resulting in Mkhize training at Virgin Active instead of with the team.
Following the unsuccessful transfer to Pirates, Mkhize subsequently trained with Cape Town City, where he caught the attention of former coach Eric Tinkler, who signed him.
This signing came after City chairman John Comitis acquired the status of Mpumalanga Aces, with the team notably finishing in the top eight of the 2015/16 season under Ertugral’s management.
Lebogang Manyama, who is currently serving as the club’s assistant coach, previously played for Aces before joining City.
Mkhize and Thabo Nodada are the longest-serving players at City, however, Nodada remains the only player still with the club from the Aces and City squad that started in the 2016/17 season.
Importantly, Nodada made his PSL debut under Ertugral at Black Aces, scoring two goals in 20 appearances, and he is well aware of the Turkish coach’s unpredictable behavior during matches.
Ertugral was appointed on Thursday following coach Tinkler’s departure on December 31, building a strong rapport with chairman Comitis from their shared history at Cape Town Spurs.
“I view it as a fresh beginning under a new coach,” Mkhize commented.
“We had our initial training session with our new coach on Friday, and the players were clearly enthusiastic because we all know this is a good opportunity to showcase our abilities since the new coach is yet to familiarize himself with the squad.
“Even though he has worked with some of us in the past, it doesn’t guarantee a place on the team. Therefore, we must elevate our performance, particularly given that we find ourselves in a precarious position. We need to focus on accumulating points and improving our standings.”
Ertugral’s first match in charge will be against his former club Chiefs at DHL Stadium on Sunday (17:45). City is currently placed 12th on the Betway Premiership table with 11 points from 10 matches, having won only three times.
Ertugral had notable achievements with Chiefs, including winning the Bob Save Super Bowl in 2000 and the CAF Confederation Cup, BP Top 8, and Coca-Cola Cup in 2001. In his second term, he secured the Telkom Knockout in the 2007/08 season and the MTN8 in the 2008/09 season. He also earned the PSL Coach of the Season accolade during the 2006/07 campaign while coaching Cape Town Spurs.
“Matches against Chiefs are consistently tough for us,” Mkhize remarked, having made 257 appearances for City and scoring nine goals.
“Nonetheless, since we are playing at home and looking to rise from our current 12th position to a more respectable one, I’m genuinely eager for this game. I’m confident that my teammates share the same optimism, and we’ll implement the strategies the coach has laid out. I hope for a victory on Sunday.”
