The latest comments coming out of the Kaizer Chiefs camp regarding Gaston Sirino could not have come at a better time, with the next opponents being a club that brought him to South Africa.
Chiefs won 1-0 in a Betway Premiership fixture played at FNB Stadium on Tuesday, with Sirino providing that crucial strike coming off the bench.
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He netted four last term, in addition to six assists in all competitions.
The Amakhosi faithful will know that Sirino is potentially one of the side’s most important players. However, he is also known to be a tempestuous character.
Last season, the Uruguayan-South African was reportedly embroiled in a stand-off with head coach Nasreddine Nabi, with reports of ill-discipline and a poisonous attitude surfacing.
That all seems to be a thing of the past, with assistant coach Ben Youssef hailing the midfielder’s improved attitude after the side's latest result.
"I think Sirino will come back this season. He came back this season with a very good attitude, a very good performance," said Ben Youssef at the post-match press conference.
"We also discussed with him a bit about his ideas and what he thinks about the season.
"He is so excited for the season, he wants to perform, to help the team."
With a big clash against Mamelodi Sundowns coming up at FNB Stadium on Wednesday, Amakhosi need a focused and firing Sirino as they attempt a fourth league victory from four games.
In the four matches that the Soweto giants have played against the defending champions since he joined, there have been three defeats and one victory.
For his first appearance against his former side, the 34-year-old lasted 74 minutes as they lost 2-1 in the league in September.
Then, a little more than a month later, the two sides met again, this time in the Carling Knockout, a disastrous outing for the lads from Naturena as they were on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline, with Sirino being substituted in the 56th minute.
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Soon after, his reported troubles with Nabi started, but he had been back in the mix of things by the time the two giants next clashed in March, though not drafted in the matchday squad in a 1-0 defeat.
The only success came in April as the Glamour Boys booked a Nedbank Cup final spot at the expense of the Chloorkop-based outfit with a last-gasp 2-1 victory as he featured for 73 minutes.
Whether his improved attitude will translate to another good display, this time against the club he won several trophies with, can only be answered after the final whistle on 27 August.
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
