Former Bafana Bafana midfielder Thulani Serero is close to signing for Cape Town City after interim coach Muhsin Ertugral confirmed that a deal is imminent with the experienced player.
Serero returned to South Africa recently after 14 years overseas and has been training with Cape Town City to maintain his fitness, having been without a club since leaving Khorfakkan from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), last June.
Now, the 34-year-old seems to have impressed Ertugral and his technical team who have decided to sign him although he will not be available for their next match this weekend, when they play away to Orlando Pirates on Saturday.
When will Serero make Cape Town debut?
“He has gone back to the Emirates as quickly as possible to [sort out issues]. Yeah, he is definitely a possible solution for us but not against Pirates,” Ertugral told the media after his team’s 2-0 loss to Chippa United on Tuesday as per FARPost.
“He has gone to get his family sorted out. Bring them back and probably he is going back to Emirates tomorrow [Wednesday] and come back on the weekend. Obviously, the next game against AmaZulu FC, he will probably be ready,” added the veteran coach on when the midfielder will likely make his Cape Town City debut.
It will be a sensational return to the Mother City for the midfielder who had three fine years at Ajax Cape Town (now Cape Town Spurs) and was named PSL Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Season in the 2010-11 campaign.
The midfielder has an impressive CV
He had helped Ajax Cape Town to second place in the PSL and the final of the Telkom Knockout, his great season earning him a big-money move to Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam in May 2011 where he spent six years, winning three straight league titles from 2012-2014.
The Soweto-born midfielder left Ajax in June 2017 to join Eredivisie rivals Vitesse, signing a three-year deal, but left after two seasons for UAE club Al Jazira in August 2019.
At Al Jazira, Serero continued to blossom, leading them to the league title in the 2020-21 campaign, when he was named Best Foreign Player. He would leave in September 2023 for Khorfakkan but lasted just one season.
Ertugral is hoping the midfielder can lift the spirits at Cape Town City after their poor run of form that has seen them fail to win their last five matches in all competitions, losing four and drawing one, while they are 10th on the log in the PSL.
