CT City’s super signing
Austrian Putsche ‘certainly did not expect things to go this well’
SOMETIMES life just works in mysterious ways. You find yourself heading in one direction and, suddenly, surprisingly, it hurtles you down another, completely unexpected, passage. Just ask Roland Putsche…
The 26-year-old Austrian was desperate for something new, something different, after spending six years as a top-flight professional at Wolfsberger AC in the Austrian Bundesliga. He wasn’t really looking for a football challenge; he was more interested in an adventure, to travel and broaden his life experience and, at the same time, assist and contribute to the development of the next generation at the Young Bafana Soccer Academy in Somerset West.
But, with football so strong in his blood, he thought he’d play some ball too. With City having started up in June last year, Putsche offered his services, just to stay in touch with the sport he loves so much. But, after just one look at the combative Austrian at training, head coach Eric Tinkler and club boss John Comitis had no hesitation in giving the player a contract.
Little did Putsche know that his initial plans were about to be completely derailed by City’s sensational, awe-inspiring debut season in the PSL. The Telkom Knockout Cup was wrapped up and, with four games to go, the Cape side is still in the title-race. And, as they prepare to host Free State Stars at the Cape Town Stadium tomorrow night (kick-off 8pm), the Austrian midfield enforcer will have time for a touch of reflection on his extraordinary journey.
“I didn’t know what to expect. And I can assure you that I certainly did not expect that things would go as well as it has.”
But, all settled now, Putsche has been invaluable to City’s cause. His consistent performances in central midfield have been the bed-rock of the team’s success. It’s his dirty work and unselfish graft that allow creative sparks like Lebogang Manyama and Aubrey Ngoma to flourish.
City head into tomorrow’s game against the struggling Free State side on the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Maritzburg. Putsche says the Capetonians are determined to bounce back.
“It was probably one of our worst performances,” he said. “We had been unbeaten this year – we wanted to win, but unfortunately we did not play the way we know we can.
“Now we have to think about it, clear our heads, and focus on the next game against Free State Stars. We have to take it step by step again.”
As it stands, Wits top the PSL with 51 points, followed by Sundowns on 50, City 49 and Kaizer Chiefs 46 points.
Importantly, though, Putsche insists that City shouldn’t focus too much on the title race. They should just concern themselves with trying to win every game they have left.
“The title is not in our hands,” said the Austrian. “I can’t imagine that Wits and Sundowns will drop points. So I believe we shouldn’t be looking at the log. We should just be focusing on ourselves and what we need to do.
“I am very happy here,” said Putsche. “It’s the place I want to be. I see the potential in the club, they are hungry for success – you can see it in the players and the officials, they all want to achieve.”
Putsche didn’t know too much about football in South Africa before arriving. But, having almost completed a full season, he has been notably impressed by what he has seen, not just in his own team but across the PSL in general.
“There is a lot of talent in the country,” he said. “I can tell you, my teammates ALSO INSIDE
The Lions' unsung heroes, pg 23.
Real are real deal, pg 22. at City are top guys, they are extremely talented. I mean Lebogang Manyama is having the best season of his life, so, too, Aubrey Ngoma.
“And Robyn Johannes, he is in his second spring. He hadn’t been playing regularly for the last two seasons, but he is playing really well now. I’m so glad to see that he has proved to his critics that he still has what it takes.” AFTER an unbeaten 2016 in which she became Olympic champion, Caster Semenya will face a fresh assault on her vice-like hold in the women’s 800m when she open’s her international season at the Doha Diamond League meeting tomorrow.
Semenya could not have asked for a tougher start to her international campaign facing Olympic 800m silver medallist Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and the third-placed Margaret Wambui of Kenya.
Adding to the allure of the contest, Ethiopian distance ace Genzebe Dibaba has also entered the fray as she looks to add the two-lap race to her repertoire.
Making her Diamond League debut in the 800m, Dibaba, who is the reigning World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist in the 1 500m will have a baptism of fire against Semenya.
After taking an extended break following the 2016 season, Semenya is perhaps at her most vulnerable and she can expect a strong challenge to her supremacy of the last year.
Semenya is one of only two athletes in the field that have raced over the 800m so far this season and it will be difficult to gauge the form the rest of the lineup.
The national record-holder posted a season’s best of 2:00.99 at last weekend’s SA University Championships after a busy week of racing.
“You have to kick it off and see where you are, it has been a bit difficult over the last few weeks where she missed training due to sponsorship commitments,” coach Jean Verster said.
“She is slowly but surely regaining her fitness and getting stronger, the SA Champs and University Champs were good to get race fitness.
“This year she has not raced nearly as much as she did last year so it will be some sort of a stepping stone for her.”
Verster said it would be interesting to see how Semenya’s form compared to her nearest rivals but there was no pressure due to a long season ahead.
Although Semenya has not yet posted a world championship qualifying time this season she has a wild-card entry thanks to her African title victories last year.
“There is still a lot of training to be done,” Verster said. “She just wants to enjoy it and she may race over other distances later in the year, maybe a few 400 metres abroad.
“The idea is that she goes out to be competitive and shows the other athletes how it is done.”
Meanwhile, South Africa’s two top male 400m hurdlers LJ van Zyl and Cornel Fredericks will also open their international seasons in Doha along with national 100m record-holder Akani Simbine.
Fredericks and Van Zyl will be looking to dip below the tough qualifying standard of 48.50 seconds. Van Zyl’s season’s best is 49.29secs while Fredericks clocked 49.27secs last month.