Former Ajax Cape Town superstar Thulani Serero appears to have lost his magic.
The 34-year-old midfielder joined Cape Town City towards the end of February and has featured in four matches so far. He made his first start for the club against Kaizer Chiefs and has since come off the bench in three other matches.
Having spent 14 years abroad, Serero has gained experience from playing in the Dutch league (Eredivisie) with Ajax Amsterdam and Vitesse.
Thulani Serero peaked a decade ago
‘Cream’ was unstoppable at Ajax Cape Town, winning the 2011 PSL Footballer of the Season. His stellar 2010/11 saw him join Amsterdam, where he won three Eredivisie titles, but his most memorable moment came in 2013, when he scored against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
Despite reaching his highs with Ajax Amsterdam, Thulani Serero was often hit with injuries, halting his progress during the peak of his career. At the end of the 2015/16 season, ‘Cream’ was no longer a first-choice attacker. His contract was not renewed in 2017, forcing him to join Viresse.
Why did Serero decline after 2017?
Injuries and lack of consistency were factors that led to the former Bafana Bafana player failing to reach his potential. In 2015, AC Milan wanted Thulani Serero and if the move had materialised, the midfielder’s career might have been revived somewhat.
In 2019, he left the Netherlands for the United Arab Emirates, where he remained under the radar. In 2025, he made a move back to the PSL but after four games, he looks like he might play a season or two before calling it a day.
City’s interim coach Diogo Peral said Serero still had to get up to speed.
“Thulani [Serero] has spent time with us; he has got to get up to speed. Today[Sunday], I thought he was good, he made a difference when he came on,” he said as per FARPost.
We know what Thulani can do offensively. PSL is a fast game, so we just need to be 100% sure that he can physically keep up with the game.
Thulani Serero has not impressed so far since his arrival
“We need to make sure that he is physically good to keep up with the PSL speed. I thought when he came on, he created chances, and he saw passes that some couldn’t necessarily see,” added Peral.
“There were one or two chances that came through Thulani, so hopefully he gets some more minutes and does the job for us.”
Thulani Serero’s strength has always been pace, short passes and skill. With the lack of pace and wide range of passing and vision, he might fail to make an impact in the PSL.
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