Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler is confident he has secured a gem in Darwin Gonzalez.

City announced Gonzalez’s signing on Tuesday, and Tinkler wasted no time to wax lyrical about the qualities possessed by the Venezuelan forward, who turns 28 in May.

“Darwin has pace and creativity, very similar to what Bradley Ralani gave us, but he also has the ability to score goals,” said Tinkler, who is preparing City for a last 32 Nedbank Cup clash away to Royal AM on February 12.

City host Kaizer Chiefs in the DStv Premiership three days later in a perilous position as they languish in the bottom half.

Tinkler's team has 22 points from 16 matches and trail champions and runaway leaders Mamemodi Sundowns by 22 points, though City have played three matches less. 

They will start the year without two of their talismen in Ralani and Fagrie Lakay, who joined cash-rich Sundowns and Egyptian club Pyramids respectively during the transfer window which shut down on Monday.

Tinkler has an impressive cup degree and no doubt yearns for a league title.

The 1996 African champion with Bafana Bafana, like all the other coaches in world football, the Premiership title is the holy grail they yearn for and Tinkler is no exception. 

Tinkler will hope his acquisition adapts to his new surroundings like a duck to water and be part of a group that can mount a challenge for at least a top four finish.

A search on Gonzalez, who played for La Guaira in the Venezuela top tier last year, reveals he scores more often than not.

His eye for goals and assists during his time in La Guaira attracted Tunisian giants Etoile Du Sahel, where the South American first had his taste of African football.

“He’s a fantastic acquisition. He’s someone who has played in Africa before with Etoile in Tunisia so he has Caf (Champions League) experience, and we’re happy to have him at our club,” enthused Tinkler.

“He can play either out wide or as a striker, so he gives us a lot of options in attack.”

Gonzalez will have competition from forwards Khanyisa Mayo, Douglas Mapfumo and Tashreeq Morris while midfielders Mpho Makola, Thabo Nodada, Mduduzi Mdantsane, Abdul Ajagul, Craig Martin as he can take on any of their roles.

Gonzalez is the second South American player to arrive in the Mother City after City’s provincial rivals Stellenbosch FC captured his compatriot Juan Carlos Ortiz.

Their arrivals has swelled the number of South Americans who have played in the Premier Soccer League, stretching back to the era of Jose Torrealba, Bryan Aldave, Jorge Acuna, Rafael Dudamel, Vincente Principiano.

Recently there are Vinicius da Silva, Eduardo Ferriera, Leonardo Castro, Ricardo Nascimento, Jose Ali Meza, Gaston Sirino, Mauricio Affonso, Emiliano Tade, Caio Marcelo, Mauricio Barrios and now Gonzalez and Ortiz, to name a few.

The South Americans have been spread across the clubs but most set Chloorkop as the destination on their GPS navigators as soon as they landed in the country. 

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