Comitis opens his arms for Chiefs
THE City of Cape Town’s openarms welcome for Kaizer Chiefs to play three of their home games at the Cape Town Stadium has local football up in arms. Much has been said, written and discussed about the pros and cons, and merits and demerits, of the popular Johannesburg club’s proposal to come to the Mother City.
There remain many open questions and the real motivation is shrouded in secrecy. For example, there has been no honesty with regard to the financial implications of the Chiefs deal. It’s common knowledge in football circles that Chiefs, because of their immense popularity, go nowhere without a substantial appearance fee. But ask the question and both Chiefs and the City are as evasive and elusive as the eye of a needle.
Ajax Cape Town also remain aggrieved by what they call the “dishonesty” with which the City has gone about the Chiefs deal.
But while Santos, Milano United, Vasco da Gama and SAFA-CT have rallied in support of Ajax, NFD side FC Cape Town are supporting the Chiefs proposal.
FC Cape Town director John Comitis, who is also the honorary life chairman of Ajax, believes Amakhosi’s presence in the Mother City could result in some positive consequences.
“I am a football person and, if we are truly part of shaping the future of Cape Town football, we should be welcoming Kaizer Chiefs to Cape Town with open arms,” Comitis said.
“As a football administrator, this can only be viewed as a win-win situation. There is no way these games will affect the crowd attendances of Ajax as Kaizer Chiefs have made sure they play on weekends that Ajax are away from home. If anything , we are servicing the needs of the biggest sector of our football communities – Chiefs supporters, who are also Capetonian.
“Not many teams in the world can command away crowd attendances like Chiefs can.
“Their brand is national and we need to respect this as an asset to football. There are so many positive spin-offs that we can benefit clubs in the Cape, let alone the starved Capetonian support base that Chiefs games will service.”
Comitis is of the opinion that the Joburg club’s popularity and superior status in the domestic game can be used as a catalyst to uplift football in the Cape.
“After the City backed a recent tournament with millions, only the clubs involved walked away with a profit,” he said. “This has put additional pressure on future funding for other football initiatives from a City that is historically reluctant to help the football frater- nity. Surely this is a prime way to stimulate the interest again and to the benefit of the coffers of the City.
“We are kicking a gift horse here. What we should rather be doing is ensuring that Chiefs play an annual charity game against a select National First Division team (the Cape has five NFD clubs in the city battling financially), where the stadium will be full and the proceeds can go 50% to charity and 50% to the NFD clubs.
“Or, NFD clubs could be featured in double-header curtain-raisers to Chiefs, just for a chance to play at this worldclass stadium and to give their players exposure in front of a capacity crowd.”