Ajax names new coach

Ajax Cape Town have named former head of youth development Maarten Stekelenburg as their new coach for the new season.

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After weeks of speculation, Ajax Cape Town on Tuesday named former head of youth development Maarten Stekelenburg as their new coach for the new season.

Stekelenburg -- not to be confused with the current Dutch national goalkeeper who shares the same name -- takes over the helm from fellow Netherlands native Foppe de Haan.

The likeable De Haan left the club after two seasons in charge, having led a young outfit agonisingly close to an inaugural Premiership title at the end of the recently completed season.

Stekelenburg, 38, had been in the side's youth set up for two years and with his contract running out he opted to remain at Ikamva over an opportunity to return to mother club, Ajax Amsterdam and their academy.

He had penned an initial two-year contract with an option of a further two years with the Urban Warriors.

"My two and half year contract as head of youth was coming to an end, after that the management asked me to stay," said Stekelenburg.

"I am excited, but the immediate challenge for me is to fill Foppe's shoes.

"We have not set immediate targets of where the team should finish this season, but the management and I have a long-term thinking and want to ensure that Ajax remain at the top."

An immediate concern for the playing squad, according to Stekelenburg, is to find able replacements for retired goalkeeper Hans Vonk and talisman forward Thulani Serero who had moved to Amsterdam.

Both players were critical to the team last season and the team still faced losing two more core players in defender Clayton Daniels and midfielder George Maluleke to overseas clubs in the coming weeks.

"That is what I want to immediately address when we start pre-season, we need to replace both Vonk and Serero," he said.

"Of course, first we have to look at the talented group that we currently have, and if we feel that we must look outside then we will go to the market."

The club's chief executive George Comitis said that he was excited about managing to maintain Stekelenburg in the club's set up, adding that his experience with the youth suited the side's philosophy.

"This is the first time we have had a real, real Ajax man," he said.

"He has been with the club for about two-and-a-half years and before that was with mother club Ajax Amsterdam for about 10 years in the youth system and 'jong Ajax' (Ajax second team).

"He is a young coach that believes in the youth and total football, which is the Ajax way of playing." – Sapa

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/ajax-names-new-coach-1.1086265

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