SA football has gone backwards, says Black Aces’ new coach, Ertugral
MUHSIN Ertugral yesterday returned to South African football as the coach of Black Aces after an absence of a year and a half, and immediately lamented the decline of the local game.
“From 1999 to 2007 South African football was good. But now it is going backwards,” said the Turkish coach, who has penned a two-year contract with Amazayoni.
Not the kind of statement to endear oneself to colleagues and the soccer public. But Ertugral has never been one to skirt issues, the former Kaizer Chiefs boss having previously called Gordon Igesund a donkey.
However, his assessment of the local game as “declining” is not without base. The man who has also been in charge of Cape sides Santos and Ajax, as well as KwaZulu-Natal outfit Golden Arrows, pointed to the fact that no local side has won the continental title.
“When I came here in 1999 (the football) it was very, very competitive. We had (Mamelodi) Sundowns, who were winning, (Orlando) Pirates were extremely good, and Chiefs were there, too. And some other clubs were also competing.
“International success was last in 2001 with Chiefs, when we won the Mandela Cup and the African Club of the Year. This has to be changed, and I can’t do that alone. We need to sit around and talk about this.”
Ertugral believes the only way South African football can return to the halcyon years of the late 1990s is to focus on youth development.
“The youth structures are not good enough; the youngsters are not being given enough chances, and sometimes we as coaches are responsible for this because we are under pressure to deliver. I know this is not a romantic business, but I believe you can build and still win, like I’ve always done,” said the coach who won Ajax the 2007 Absa Cup with “chickens” – young players.
Ertugral believes it is time South Africa followed world trends and made sure players earn their stripes in the development ranks before getting into the elite league.
“A lot of South African players, if you ask them how many years they were in the youth structures, you will find it is less than four years. I believe players must have a minimum of 10 years youth development. I was at Bayern Munich recently, and while people are criticising Pep that the team is not winning now, the man is doing incredible work there, even with the youth structures.”
And then the fiery Turk inadvertently indicated that Aces would not be playing fancy football under his watch.
“In South Africa I always hear people say that you must express yourself. Please stop that nonsense. If everyone expressed himself, what would you get? There are just two seconds (a player gets) on the ball, and all that is needed is harmony on the field.”
Ironically, he used the music analogy to illustrate his dislike of individualism on the field.
“A football team is like a music group – the guitar can’t play differently from the lead singer or the drummer. They must all be in tune.”
It will be fascinating to see if he gets Amazayoni in tune while helping to raise South African football standards.