Former Chiefs star still ‘the best striker in the league’ according to top coach

Prior to this season, former Chiefs forward Samir Nurkovic moved to TS Galaxy following a failed stint with Royal AM after leaving Chiefs largely due to injury setbacks at Naturena.

Nurkovic led Chiefs to their first-ever CAF Champions League final in 2019, which was at a time when Ernst Middendorp was coaching Amakhosi between 2018 and 2020.

Their paths crossed once again this past weekend, with Cape Town Spurs head coach Middendorp overseeing an important victory against TS Galaxy, with Nurkovic coming off the bench in an early substitution.

HIGH PRAISE FOR THE FORMER CHIEFS HIT MAN SAMIR NURKOVIC

Middendorp, who played a key role in bringing Nurkovic to Chiefs, provided a ringing endorsement when discussing the impact of the 31-year-old.

“I’m obviously the only one in the country who values Samir Nurkovic as the best striker in the league. Even today, he is the best striker in the league,” the coach commented, as quoted by iDiski Times.

“It’s difficult to get him, he is good on the movement, he is good on the legs, he’s good on the heading. He is clever, smart, and tried, three or four times to get the penalty. He has a portfolio of aspects.

“Ja, when he comes in, I was very happy not to see him starting unfortunately, came too early, he should have stayed a little bit longer outside.

“But we had our problems with him. There’s no doubt about it. But in the second half, of course, it was expected that we have a little bit more to do, to do the defensive work.

“But I think when it com to the mentality, it comes to the attitude, it comes to the behaviour of a group, of a team, what we try to produce inside the entire club, everybody is involved, really, from the management, ownerships and so on to really give support into the right direction that we can see what we have seen today in the second half.”