Cape Town City raring to get Thulani Serero plugged in

Serero has returned to the PSL for the first time since leaving in 2011 to join Ajax Amsterdam, before going on to have an illustrious career abroad. 

Following their fourth successive Betway Premiership defeat – a 2-0 loss away to AmaZulu on Sunday, Ertugral believes the 34-year-old’s experience will be vital. 

"I spoke to Emirates and to my former club Benghazi and got nice feedback about him, and he also did train so he's available for us, we had him for a couple of training sessions." said Ertugral.

"The problem for us is the middle, holding onto the ball – there are key moments when you saw Thabo [Nodada] and [Fortune] Makaringe came in, we had the game under control actually without really putting punches on.

"So these are elements that, when we get onto the ball, we are rushing in the middle, so with experienced players, especially like Serero who's done it at the highest level South African players have ever achieved, I think it gives us something to hold on in offensive processes.

"It puts a lot of pressure on us when we win the ball back from a defensive [phase], and you need to see that as a chain – you've won the ball back, so you need to transfer it to the middle or second [phase], and that's where we always lose the ball and pressure mounts.

"So these are elements that [the likes of Serero] are going to give us, to hold onto the ball at the right time, and then players like Emile [Witbooi] or Jaedin [Rhodes] can bring their own vision and talent because they are players that can turn something [simple] into something special when they have the momentum."

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