Coach Benni McCarthy is due to return to work on Friday after the Christmas holiday break and will find yet another member of his Cape Town City staff has deserted.

Goalkeeper coach Calvin Marlin has crossed over to Ajax Cape Town to team up again with Muhsin Ertugral. Marlin’s departure follows just weeks after McCarthy’s assistant Ian Taylor left to join Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F.

Marlin previously worked with Ertugral at Mpumalanga Black Aces and when the franchise was sold to John Comitis‚ Marlin became the new club’s first acquisition in anticipation of continuing as part Ertugral’ staff.

But Ertugral then made a U-turn and did not take up the offer to be City’s first coach after he was offered a job by Orlando Pirates at the same time.

The Turkish-born ended up lasting just a matter of months at the Buccaneers after a tempestuous relationship with his players where he resigned after a humiliating 6-1 drubbing by SuperSport United in the league.

Marlin stayed at City and worked well under Eric Tinkler but did not have the same close relationship with McCarthy according to City officials.

With Ertugral back in the PSL for his fourth spell at Ajax‚ one of his first moves was to invite Marlin to cross over and join him – an invitation Marlin‚ a former Ajax goalkeeper‚ has snapped up.

Taylor left earlier in the month after an enticing offer from Ajax Amsterdam‚ who have an agreement with Guangzhou R&F and have placed Taylor there as Head of Talent Development.

Taylor is highly rated for his work as an assistant and had a brief spell as caretaker coach of Ajax after Ertugral’s last spell at the club.

Ertugral has been ringing the changes since being appointed to save Ajax from potential relegation after the sacking of Stanley Menzo.

Experienced coach Boebie Solomons‚ who was brought in six months ago to serve as assistant to Menzo‚ has now also left Ajax as Ertugral shakes up the staff structures.