With Chiefs having the day off on Thursday it was his first opportunity to reflect back on the match with his team as they get ready to play their final game of the season this coming Sunday against Black Leopards in Thohoyandou. For Ertugral the game is important as a win could see Chiefs end off the season in fourth place, which would be a major psychological boost for him and a true indication of his team’s character, who just a few months back were at the wrong end of the table. One defeat in their last nine games has ensured that Chiefs have shrugged off those concerns and have made strong head way up the table.

Number four

“There is no talk of a draw or a loss, from our end victory is the target we have set ourselves” is Ertugral’s quick reply when questioned about Sunday’s final match of the season; he holds nothing back in making it clear that he would be expecting nothing less. Black Leopards could find themselves in the relegation play offs should they lose to Chiefs, Ertugral’s concern though is making sure that his team close of with a comfortable win as he said. “Thohoyandou is a far place to travel to and we go there with three points in sight, three wins in a row in league matches, and we would like to make this number four which could also mean a fourth place finish in the league”.

Another battle

Ertugral described Chiefs midweek tussle with Celtic as a very physical encounter and believes that his team need to be ready for another bruising encounter when they face Leopards. He explained his reasoning for this saying, “Bloemfontein Celtic had nothing to play for when we met them on Wednesday, there season was basically over as they could not finish in the top eight and relegation was not an issue for them. They made a game of it and threw everything into every tackle; Leopards want to avoid having to go into the play offs to secure another season of PSL football. So we can only imagine what mindset they come into the game with, be prepared for a match that is going to be physically exhausting for us”.