Muhsin Ertugral questions proximity of Cape Town City fixtures

The Citizens had come off a big week  – beating both Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at DHL Stadium in the space of just three days.

ErtuÄŸral insists the trip to Bloemfontein was a stretch too far for the team to perform in a third game in less than seven days.

"We played Chiefs, we played Pirates, and three days later you need to come up [to Bloemfontein] – this is unusual, these boys are tired," said Ertugral.

"They played their hearts out, they did everything right – we played fair and square, played great games, and even in the second half they pulled their socks up, went in and created again those elements necessary to at least get a draw.

"And I'm not complaining about two games, I'm complaining about [Sunday and] Wednesday against two teams – I don't see any team in this country playing after each other, in three days, against teams that really have a pedigree.

"It's not child's play here, we played a really difficult game, and then you need to come [and do it again] three days later – is there anyone playing like this? Chiefs is not playing, Pirates is not playing – Hello, where are they?

"So, why must we come here to Bloemfontein also? It's a little bit of sensitivity on the fixtures, sorry about that – maybe you will say I'm bitter, no, I'm not bitter. We need to protect these boys, they are human."

According to ErtuÄŸral, being scheduled to play away from home following back-to-back matches against teams of Chiefs and Pirates’ quality was his concern. 

"They played their heart out three days ago, and then to come here and play again? How is that possible? Maybe I made the mistake, I should have changed the full squad," he 

"Maybe that's the decision we should have taken, to rotate, but we don't have so many players that we can rotate them all. So, it's not an excuse – you guys will write... No, no, it's not an excuse, but I thinking giving credit to the boys, that has to be done."

READ: How Muhsin Ertugral plotted Orlando Pirates’ downfal