Welcome to the Urban Warriors coach Ernst Middendorp!
Following a brief period away from PSL football, Ernst Middendorp has now been confirmed as the new coach of Cape Town Spurs.
After Sean Connor’s short stint as interim coach, Middendorp will now join the Urban Warriors technical team with Vasili Manousakis as his assistant.
Connor will continue to serve as the club’s Technical Director and is more than happy to have Middendorp onboard.
“When you get someone with the vast experience he has of the PSL and his knowledge of South African football, it is always good for the club and the players,” said Connor.
Middendorp is one of the most well-versed coaches in PSL history, having mentored high-profile sides such as Kaizer Chiefs, Bloemfontein Celtic, Golden Arrows, Chippa United and Moroka Swallows.
As one of Middendorp’s major career honours, the German tactician guided Kaizer Chiefs to the SAA Supa 8 trophy in the 2006/07 PSL campaign.
In the 65-year-old’s second spell with Amakhosi, Middendorp guided the Soweto-based club to a second-place finish in the DStv Premiership during the 2019/20 season.
During the 2015/16 campaign, Middendorp famously steered Maritzburg United away from the clutches of relegation in what was one of the most dramatic finishes to a season in local football history.
After taking charge of the Team of Choice in December 2015, who sat at the bottom of the table at the time of his arrival, he engineered a great escape on the final day of the season. Middendorp managed to close the gap on the University of Pretoria and Jomo Cosmos before ending the campaign in 14th place.
It is this experience Connor is hoping to draw on with Middendorp’s appointment to the club.
“He stands out as the man for the job and knows what the task at hand is,” continued Connor. “He knows a lot of the players and what is required.
“As a club we have made the goals and objectives clear to him, and we are confident he will be successful.
“My job is to assist him in any way I can.”
