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Dutch Erol Akbay declares title battle as he returns to Zimbabwe with Ngezi Platinum Stars

Erol Akbay is back in the Zimbabwe PSL with Ngezi Platinum Stars and has immediately declared his desire to with the league title.

The league campaign has been scheduled to kick off on March 30 and Akbay arrived in the country on Friday to begin work with the platinum miners.

He is back in Zimbabwe after a short spell with Bulawayo giants Highlanders in 2016 whom he helped to a third-place finish.

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Akbay, who replaced Tonderayi Ndiraya now wants to do better with Ngezi Platinum who finished runners-up last season and would be bidding for their maiden league crown.

“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,” Akbay told The Herald.

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

“That’s my vision, winning, winning the title, of course. Ngezi are a team that wants 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.”

Ngezi have however lost one of their star players in defender Godknows Murwira, who joined fellow platinum miners FC Platinum this off-season.

It is not yet clear if they would be able to hold on to some of their senior players like captain Liberty Chakoroma, midfielder Tichaona Mabvura, Walter Mukanga, Clive Agusto and Xolisani Moyo, who were all reported to be on their way out of the club.

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