SPURS OFFERED VETERAN FREE AGENT DE GOEDE

Cape Town Spurs have been offered veteran defender Mogamad de Goede, who is a free agent after parting ways with Maritzburg United last month.

The 30-year-old had joined the Team of Choice from Stellenbosch FC during the mid-season transfer window in January and did not miss a single match once registered by coach Fadlu Davids.

However, with the club relegated, it was inevitable – as reported by Soccer Laduma – that De Goede would be one of the players likely to be offloaded for Maritzburg to cut costs and begin life in the lower league.

This is to avoid an embarrassing situation unfolding on the eve of the tournament similar to how the women’s senior national team – Banyana Banyana – took the federation on ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Bafana earlier this year sealed qualification to the continental tournament to be staged by Ivory Coast in January when they beat Liberia away from home and confirmed their qualification among the 24 teams.

Spurs have been made aware of the centre-back’s availability without any transfer fee involved and it remains to be seen whether they will consider beefing up in their efforts to try and survive in the topflight.

The Urban Warriors have recently made changes to the technical team after Shaun Bartlett was sacked

With SAFA’s financial woes becoming a public spectacle of late, the side coached by Hugo Broos has twice contemplated boycotting friendly matches due to outstanding payments, an act labelled a ticking timebomb.

There’s a little over two months before the Afcon gets underway and Broos is expected to announce his final 23-man squad before the end of the year prior to their base camp in Korhogo.

Siya sources understand SAFA following seven straight DStv Premiership defeats since promotion to the elite level.

Spurs have since then hired Sean Connor as their interim coach having first brought him to the club as a technical advisor, only to appoint him as Bartlett’s replacement alongside Vasili Manousakis as his will explore ways to try and deal with payment structures before the team leaves the country and once CAF has also announced the bonus breakdown for participating sides.

Although FIFA had long done the same for the Women’s World Cup, the association dragged its feet in confirming how they would top that up for Banyana and this is what led to the stand-off that saw the players boycotting their farewell match at the Tsakane assistant.

However, their first game in charge – with Connor sitting in the stands while waiting for a work permit – was a defeat against SuperSport United and they now tackle Orlando Pirates in the opening round of the Carling Knockout tomorrow (Friday).

Stadium in June.

SAFA want to avoid the saga playing itself out yet again.

It’s the crucial upcoming games that will determine whether they could use the experience of a player like De Goede.