Maritzburg United have confirmed the appointment of Roger de Sa as the club’s new head coach following a lengthy search for a successor to Fadlu Davids.

‘There was no rush is appointing a new Head Coach until we had found the right appointment for the Football Club,’ Maritzburg chairman Farook Kadodia told assembled media on Tuesday.

Kadodia was pleased to announce the appointment of a full-time coach after Davids filled in following Ernst Middendorp’s resignation in November 2016.  ‘Credit to Fadlu Davids and the rest of the technical team on doing a wonderful job after Middendorps departure,’ said Kadodia paying tribute to Davids’ interim work.

‘I’ve had a long relationship with the chairman and it’s great to be here,’ said De Sa. ‘The support here in Pietermaritzburg is second to none, the squad is good and the vibe I get here is very positive,’ he added.

‘The club has a good squad. It also has the best fan base in the country. They get behind this team in a big way. Exciting times for me. The target is to first get to 30 points but we want more than that. We want to compete.’

De Sa left the Urban Warriors after a dreadful start to the season which saw Ajax Cape Town winless in seven matches.

The Team of Choice are seven points off the basement yet seven additional points would see the Maritzburg outfit top of the PSL table.

De Sa’s first game in charge will be an away fixture against Polokwane City at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on 8 February.