Newly promoted Absa Premiership club Mpumalanga Black Aces coach Sammy Troughton has wielded the axe on 10 players as he prepares his side for the new Premier Soccer League season.

Four former international are among the "big names" that have been given the chop.

Three strikers Swaziland's Sibusiso Dlamini, DR Congo and former Kaizer Chiefs target man Kapamba Musasa, Zambian Songwe Chalwe and left back Michelin Kanika-Matondo have been axed.

"But," stated the former Mamelodi Sundowns defender "the four foreign players did bring a lot of experience and contributed in helping us win promotion.

"At the end of the day, however, they do not command a regular place and if I sign a foreign player he has to be a match winner and play every game.

"They have to be better than the local players I have. So in the end I made a tough decision to axe the four plus six fringe players who were not in my plans for the new PSL season."

Troughton said he was working on bringing in more new blood before Aces make their PSL debut when they face his former club Sundowns, in their opening Absa Premiership fixture at Atteridgeville's Super Stadium on August 8.

He has signed four new players in the form of Ajax Cape Town defender Thomrick October, right back Ridiger Gilbert from FC AK, Dynamos' exciting midfielder Joseph Mthombeni, plus Sibusiso Themba, a central midfidlder from Moroka Swallows.

Troughton said he had more singings in the pipeline but would only make an announcement once the deals were completed. Troughton will be head coach of a PSL club for the first time after serving his apprenticeship with PSL outfit Free State Stars, as assistant coach.

He has not set any targets for himself or his players. "I do not want to put the players or myself under unnecessary pressure at the start of the season. We all know this is a short season and playing at least two matches a week is going to be tough.

"I know it is a cliché but we will be focusing on one game at a time and our priority is Sundowns on August 8.

"I do not want the players to get distracted by setting targets. We will be taking it one game at a time."

Troughton added he would not change Ace's style of play. "The PSL teams seem to struggle against the pace of First Division sides in the Nedbank Cup and I want to continue where we left off by winning promotion with an attacking positive style of play."

Sapa

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