AmaZulu co-coach Arthur Zwane says South African football still needs coaches like Muhsin Ertugral, who recently returned to South African football to take over at Cape Town City.

Zwane stated that Ertugral played a significant role in his own coaching career, particularly in terms of tactical knowledge. During his playing days at Kaizer Chiefs, Zwane owned a team that dominated the Soweto regional leagues, largely due to the coaching principles he learned from Ertugral.

The duo have a long history together at Chiefs. Ertugral coached Zwane twice at the Soweto giants, first in 1999.

During his first stint, Ertugral guided Chiefs to the Bob Save Super Bowl in 2000, the CAF Confederation Cup, the BP Top 8, and the Coca-Cola Cup.

Chiefs’ victory in the CAF Confederation Cup earned them a place in the CAF Super Cup. Ertugral selected Zwane for the starting lineup alongside notable players like Brian Baloyi, Cyril Nzama, Patrick Mabedi, Isaac Mabotsa, Jossias Macamo, Marco Mthembu, Thabo Mooki, Stanton Fredericks, Jabu Mahlangu, and Shaun Permall.

However, Chiefs suffered a 4-1 defeat in front of a 40,000-strong crowd at the Cairo International Stadium, with Nzama’s header providing a mere consolation goal.

In his second stint, Ertugral led Chiefs to the Telkom Knockout in the 2007/08 season and the MTN8 in the 2008/09 season. He was also named the PSL Coach of the Season in the 2006/07 campaign while coaching Cape Town Spurs.

“I’m happy for him,” reacted Zwane. 

“He is always been my mentor; it is always good to see him back because of his football knowledge and what he has done, especially with the youngsters.  

“I learnt a lot from him. He actually the one who encouraged me to become a coach. I started coaching when I was still playing at Kaizer Chiefs and I ended up having my own team because of him. 

“The way Muhsin was coaching, the coaching style and many other things I learnt from him.  

“Then, he became more like a father figure to me. My team actually dominated Soweto until I decided to sell the status because of his tactics. We were number one for five years – the Discovery tournament they won it for four years in a row and they ended up getting promotion to the Vodacom League (now ABC Motsepe League regional league). 

“I’m happy for football in the country because his experience is second to none. We will always learn from him and the competition will be much better.  

“I’m not saying other coaches are not doing enough, what I’m trying to say – is he can also produce many young coaches for South Africa like he gave me an opportunity and many other people that allowed me to grow under their wings.”      

Ertugral’s return to club football marks his first involvement since his dismissal from Maritzburg United in January 2019.

Interestingly, AmaZulu’s victory over City late last year led to the departure of coach Eric Tinkler, which ultimately paved the way for Ertugral’s appointment at City.

Another noteworthy point is that Ertugral’s first match in charge of City was against Chiefs on Sunday, with the Cape Town club emerging victorious with a 1-0 scoreline.