Cape Town City FC coach Muhsin Ertugral. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane, Independent Newspapers
Smiso Msomi
As South African football enthusiasts brace themselves for an exciting midweek fixture list, Cape Town City’s interim head coach Muhsin Ertugral will find himself under much scrutiny.
On Wednesday (kick-off 7.30pm), the beleaguered Citizens will face Golden Arrows at Athlone Stadium, desperately seeking to end a dismal run of form that has punctuated their season. Having started the tenure of Ertugral with promising victories against heavyweight rivals Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, hopes were high that a turnaround was on the cards.
However, the positive momentum has quickly fizzled out, and the club now finds itself staggering under the weight of poor performances.
With just one win in their last four outings and the threat of a fourth defeat looming, the Citizens are currently standing at a precarious crossroads.
Once a side that captured the imagination of fans with their commitment to total football, Cape Town City have struggled to find the back of the net recently, failing to score in three of their last four fixtures.
This stark inconsistency has led to mounting scrutiny on the squad, particularly on their attacking unit. The pressure is palpable as key players like Hashim Domingo, Darwin Gonzalez, and Amadou Sokouna prepare to step up and take the lead in this crucial encounter.
Although it would be far-fetched to say the fate of coach Ertugral hangs in the balance, he will seek to stabilise a team that began the season with high expectations after significant investment in top talent.
Yet, following the sacking of coach Eric Tinkler due to poor results, the challenge before Ertugral is daunting.
His record thus far – three wins and three losses in his initial six matches – has not provided solace, especially after a disappointing exit from the Nedbank Cup at the hands of Sekhukhune.
With the Citizens' ambitions of sealing a Top 8 spot slipping through their fingers like sand, the upcoming clash with Arrows presents a critical opportunity for redemption.
A win could serve as a much-needed boost to morale and restore confidence amongst players and supporters alike, while another defeat could deepen the crisis currently surrounding the club.
The visitors, themselves, have been roughed up lately with back-to-back losses themselves and are heading into this game low on morale. The Lamontville based outfit were booted out of the Nedbank Cup, as well, by Chippa United before receiving a 4-0 trouncing at the hands of league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
City and Arrows are placed seventh and eighth, respectively, on the Betway Premiership standings and are separated by just a point ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.
This is one of the most unpredictable fixtures in the football calendar with Arrows winning two, City collecting one victory and the other two games drawn the last five times they’ve met.
The two teams are expected to be amongst the hosts of clubs challenging for a spot in next season’s MTN8 competition come the latter stages of the season.
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