Cool and breezy conditions greeted The Amakhosi on Saturday morning as they held their first training session of 2008 at the Kaizer Chiefs Village in Naturena in Southern Johannesburg, there was plenty of cloud cover about to ensure that Chiefs first kick about of the New Year did not take place in the sweltering conditions that have prevailed in Johannesburg over the past week. There were smiles all around as Muhsin Ertugral and his assistant Fani Madida welcomed back the players from their holidays, and the atmosphere was much like one would encounter on the first day back at school after the summer holidays. Old friends were re-united and there was some time for the players to exchange stories from their vacations, after the niceties were over it was down to the basics.

Being the first session back the coach put his team through a light work out and his general concerns about the players fitness were laid to rest with the fact that his charges had returned from the holidays with out any new injury concerns.

Running In

It was more like a gentle stroll for Chiefs on the first day back as Muhsin Ertugral lead his team through a number of light training routines, he intends turning up the voltage in the next couple of training sessions the Chiefs coach before that can be done he needs to get his team back in to the rhythm of training. He said to kaizerchiefs.com “we went easy on the guys during Saturdays training, after two weeks away this session and perhaps the next two or three will be to acclimatize them and once our camp starts on Wednesday we can begin to get more intense”.

Positive outcomes

Ertugral has heralded the extended break as the perfect opportunity for his team to regroup and prepare effectively for the second round of league games, and is confident that the second half of the season can yield some more silver ware for Chiefs. Ertugral the PSL coach of the season from 2006 – 2007 added, “what ever has happened in the season is now behind us we had a chat this morning and the guys now know that all they need to think about is what is in front of them. We have fifteen games to go and a cup competition as well, together we know that if we perform at our true potential we can go along way in both the league and the cup and we intend to be competitive in both of them over the next five months”.

On duty

There were some notable absentees from Chiefs training session on Saturday morning as both goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune who was the player of the tournament during Chiefs recent Telkom Knock Out Cup success, and midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala who headed home The Amakhosi’s final goal of 2007 during the clubs last game of the year when Chiefs and Black Leopards played to a 1-1 draw on the 22nd December. Were not at Naturena as they were assembling with national team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and the rest of the Bafana Bafana squad as they headed off for a pre Africa Cup of Nations training camp to Durban, which began on Saturday. For Tshabalala it his second trip to the continents show piece even while Khune will be looking to gain a lot out of his first experience at a major international football tournament.