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Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
NGEZI Platinum Stars coach Erol Akbay hopes his second flirtation with the domestic Premiership will be fruitful after he endured a rough ride in his previous stint with Highlanders three years ago.

The Dutch gaffer arrived in the country yesterday to take a new role in charge of the ambitious Mhondoro based side.

He immediately travelled to Mhondoro where he was scheduled to meet his players late in the afternoon.

Akbay was supposed to arrive in the country over a fortnight ago but delayed his arrival due to some logistical challenges.

In his absence, the team have been conducting their pre-season training under assistant coaches Cosmas “Tsano” Zulu and Tendai Chikuni.

Akbay was largely touted to write a successful story at Bosso in 2016 but the marriage between the two parties ended on bad terms with the coach vowing never to return at the Bulawayo giants again.

He had led them to a third-place finish in the league, seven points adrift of champions CAPS United in 2016.

“I am happy to be back in this country as I was away for some years now. Good things are coming. I am very happy to be here,” said Akbay.

“Every time you start with a new club, it’s always exciting. That means as a new coach, you come, you see a new team with new players and then you start afresh.

“That is why it’s always exciting. Ngezi Platinum Stars are fighters and they want to win the championship.”

‘’I emphasise more on attack, that’s how you win. We have to work together to make sure that we win (the league title).”

Akbay admitted it would not be easy.

“That’s my vision, winning, winning the title, of course. Ngezi are a team that want to be champions and I am a coach who wants to be a champion.

‘’If everyone shares the same vision, I think we have a chance to do great things.

“That the team came out second in the league last season means there is a lot of potential at this club.”

Though he is not very much aware of the calibre of players at Ngezi now, Akbay believes they will soon adjust to the style of play he wants.

Akbay opted to work with Zulu and Chikuni in his technical department dropping Clifton Kadurira and Gift Muzadzi who have been in charge of the tyeam since the sacking of Tonderai Ndiraya late last year.

“With Cosmas Zulu and Tendai Chikuni, I know I have good assistants. Both of them are good coaches, I worked with Zulu while at Highlanders and I know Chikuni is also good, that’s why I chose them.”