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Ertugral: Shitolo is a surprise package

Caper Town - Orlando Pirates coach Muhsin Ertugral has sung the praises of Gladwin Shitolo and touted the defender to feature for Bafana Bafana in the near future.

The 26-year-old featured as a substitute in Pirates' 2-0 loss to arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Black Label Cup on Saturday at the FNB Stadium.

Shitolo returned to Mayfair at the end of the 2015/16 season after a successful loan spell with Golden Arrows, where he featured in 32 matches across all competitions.

Arrows coach Clinton Larsen indicated his desire to sign Shitolo on a permanent basis but he was maintained by his parent club, and Ertugral believes he is one for the future.

"Shitolo is a surprise package. He is the prototype player that can be versatile in different situations," Ertugral told Goal.com website.

"He has incredible talent and I can put my hand up and say that he is a future Bafana Bafana player definitely.

"Shitolo has been on loan and we saw how well he did last season in midfield and in defence for Arrows. His versatility gives a different dimension.

"We need players like him and Edwin [Gyimah] who are not your typical centre-back; they have something a little bit more special."

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