Tendai Ndoro is already scoring a lot in training‚ says Ajax coach Ertugral

Ajax Cape Town are hoping work permits will be issued in time on Friday for Muhsin Ertugral to take his place on the bench and for Tendai Ndoro to line up in attack as the new year’s football gets underway against Maritzburg United.

The club are relatively confident the paperwork will be sorted out in time as they play their first game since making their coaching change and welcoming Ertugral back for his fourth spell at the club.

The coach‚ in his first press conference since re-joining Ajax‚ said he was backing Ndoro to make a major impact at the relegation-threatened club.

“Tendai is a special player. He’s unique‚ a star player‚” Ertugral said of the Zimbabwe international‚ who was under him briefly at Orlando Pirates.

“I like his character and he has fitted in well already‚ scoring a lot in training.

"He came back from Saudi Arabia very fit and immediately proved what he can do for the team.

"Now we wait to see if he can play.”

Ndoro‚ who spent six months in the Middle East‚ is one of three signings Ajax have made in recent weeks with at least two more still to be announced.

Ertugral’s first priority is to save Ajax from the potential of the drop – a position he has been in before at the start of his second spell

“There is a lot of work to do but I can see there is a lot of talent.

"We have now to get our formations and patterns right and to be more positive.

"Rejoining the club means a lot to me and I want to get them playing positive again.

“When I was coach of other clubs like Kaizer Chiefs and Mpumalanga Black Aces‚ we never looked forward to taking on Ajax away and it’s that fear from the opposition’s side that I want to see return.

“We have to make it so that the other clubs don’t like coming here and playing against us.

"If it’s the wet‚ the windy or just our fighting attitude‚ they have to not look forward to playing Ajax‚” Ertugral added.

Friday’s game against Maritzburg will see Brandon Pietersen returning to goal‚ the coach confirmed but teenage midfield playmaker Grant Margeman is still out injured.

“Maritzburg are a team that wants to play‚ that won’t sit back‚ so that is good for us.”

Ajax start 2018 in second last place in the Premier Soccer League standings with 13 points from 14 games‚ two above bottom placed Wits.