How the season is shaping up for Cape Town City and the Urban Warriors

SO WHAT can we expect from the Mother City’s two PSL clubs this season? It’s always silly to try to predict what happens in the sport of football – most of the time it’s an exercise in futility. This is a cruel game, and it’s best to approach a season with quiet confidence and humility rather than brash arrogance.

It is with this in mind that both Cape Town City and Ajax Cape Town are infusing their pre-season preparations with sacrifice and sweat, in order to improve on their efforts in the last campaign.

Ajax need an upswing in fortune and performance. The Capetonians have under-performed over the last two seasons – and they will be targeting this campaign to make a serious statement of intent.

City finished third last season and won the Telkom Knockout Cup. They are the most talked about club in the country, but therein is the danger. They have to make sure that they don’t get carried away by all the hype and attention.

The new PSL season kicks into gear next month, so let’s summarise what’s been taking place at the two Cape clubs:

AJAX CAPE TOWN

The big news at Ajax is, of course, the shake-up in the technical department, with prominent roles for two of the Mother City’s most famous football sons: Boebie Solomons and Duncan Crowie. Undoubted stars of the sport during the era of segregated football, both Solomons and Crowie have transferred their playing success to the craft of coaching. Former Santos stalwart Crowie, pictured, has focused primarily on youth football and this season he takes up the position of head coach of Young Ajax, which refers to the MultiChoice Diski Challenge (Reserve Team) and the ABC Motsepe side (the club’s Second Division outfit).

Much-travelled former Cape Town Spurs midfielder Solomons, now 62 years old, and who has worked at Santos, Wits, Maritzburg United, Black Leopards, Winners Park, Polokwane City, Cape Town All Stars, Milano United and FC Cape Town, takes up a new role as an assistant coach to Stanley Menzo.

Former Ajax Amsterdam goalkeeper Menzo continues to serve as the head coach, while last season’s assistant, Mich d’Avray, is now the club’s Head of Football, a position which will see the former Cape Town Spurs and Perth Glory coach in charge of all matters football at Ajax.

Former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Hans Vonk is the Head of Youth and he will be assisted and advised by respected Dutch mentor Foppe de Haan.

On paper, it’s a real dream team – but football is not played on paper. It’s played between the four white lines by fickle and temperamental footballers. Considering how poorly Ajax have performed, the one thing they are going to need is a quality, settled squad, determined to give their all.

Already, a month before the start of the new season, the situation around Rivaldo Coetzee is threatening to derail their preparation. The 20-year-old Bafana Bafana central defender, who still has two years left on his current contract, is currently absent without leave. He has not returned to pre-season training, and the word is that he is not a happy chappy. Nobody is talking, not Ajax, not Coetzee and not the player’s agent, but the speculation is that the defender wants clarity on his future. He believes his high profile role at the club deserves a better salary – and, if Ajax are not prepared to meet his financial demands, then he wants to leave.

In addition to Coetzee, another player far from happy with the manner in which he has been treated is veteran Nathan Paulse. The 35-year-old has been released because the perception is that he has “retired”. Not so, says Paulse. The striker has not yet retired and is hoping to meet with his former employers to get some clarity on his situation. While Paulse, who gave Ajax many years of loyal service, is already focusing on the next phase of his career – he is currently doing the CAF C coaching licence – he believes he still has the energy, the drive and the hunger to perform in the PSL.

New signings at Ajax include striker Sedwyn George, who picked up the NFD Golden Boot at the PSL awards ceremony last night for scoring 20 goals for Royal Eagles last season, and powerful central defender Isaac Nhlapo, signed from Platinum Stars.

CAPE TOWN CITY

City’s preparation for the new season is spearheaded by new coach Benni McCarthy, who will be assisted by Ian Taylor.

McCarthy, in his first season as a head coach, will rely heavily on the support of Taylor, who was also Eric Tinkler’s number two last season. The former Battswood player is a quiet yet intelligent presence behind the scenes; he knows the PSL inside out and has a shrewd tactical brain.

All eyes will be on McCarthy, though, to see whether he can emulate his playing success as a coach. The former Bafana Bafana striker’s famous quote about his new role is “everybody has to start somewhere”, which is why he is not putting himself under too much pressure. But, one thing is certain, there’s no doubt that his charisma and ebullience will rub off on those around him.

City’s new signings include striker Ayanda Patosi, Mozambican defender Jeitoso and former Bloemfontein Celtic winger Lyle Lakay.

It’s a welcome return home for Lakay, originally from Silvertown in Athlone. The son of well-known left-footer Sean Lakay, who played with distinction for Stephanians and the Western Province Football Board team in the 1980s, City’s new man certainly has the right genes. And Lakay could have an influential role to play early on in the season as Aubrey Ngoma makes his way back from a knee operation.

A big loss for City, however, is Thato Mokeke, who has returned to SuperSport United. The versatile footballer was an influential presence last season in a number of positions and he will be missed.