Ertugral top choice to coach Ajax
SISA MAJOLA
JOHANNESBURG - In soccer’s worst kept secret, Ajax Cape Town and coach Craig Rosslee officially parted ways this week.
But speculation was already rife about Rosslee’s future with sources saying that he had already handed in his resignation to the club two weeks ago, a few days before the team’s final Premiership encounters against Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
As it turns out, Ajax might yet have another “open secret” in store with their former coach Muhsin Ertugral earmarked to take over the reins again at the Urban Warriors for the next three seasons.
The Turkish trainer broke ties with Kaizer Chiefs last weekend after enduring an acrimonious two-year stint with the glamour club.
Ertugral was also rumoured to be roping in Shaun Bartlett for the assistant-coach role, something that the former Bafana Bafana striker has denied.
Bartlett had said earlier this week that he “was considering some playing and coaching offers” but distanced himself from speculation by releasing a statement saying that “there would be many issues to consider were I to return to the Mother City.”
The 36-year-old terminated his stint with Bloemfontein Celtic earlier in the season but has yet to decide whether to carry on playing or shift his focus elsewhere.
Ajax’s chief executive George Comitis admits that getting Ertugral back into the fold of the things at Ikamva would be the club’s first option.
Ertugral led a youthful Ajax side to an Absa Cup vctory in 2007, unearthing young gems like Bryce Moon, Clifford Ngobeni and a relatively unknown Nigerian called Eyong Enoh, who went on to sign for mother club Ajax Amsterdam.
“Ertugral is definitely our first option, but he also has an offer from Egypt that he is considering,” Comitis said.
“Our aim is to get a coach who will take little time to adapt and get us out of the blocks quickly enough next season.”
The club might run a risk of losing star striker Mabhudi Khenyeza if the 49-year-old coach does indeed join.
Ironically, it was through irreconcilable differences between Khenyeza and Ertugral that the marksmen made the move from Chiefs to Ajax earlier in the season. He famously said that he would never be coached by a man noted for his abrasive temper.
But Comitis does not foresee any issues if both men are reunited.
“There will not be a problem there,” said Comitis. “They are both professionals and Khenyeza has a three-year contract with us.”
Source: http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=95881,1,22
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