CAPE TOWN CITY HAS A BARGAIN IN THIS DEFENDER
It is not often that foreign players get it right from the start in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League with a period of adjustment to the hectic pace of the competition almost always required. Even players with proven ability such as Gaston Sirino, Knowledge Musona and Khama Billiat did not get it right straight away and took months to find their feet in a fast-paced league that might lack quality at times, but not intensity. It is surprising then how Cape Town City’s Ivorian defender Kouassi Kouadja has slipped into life in the PSL with impressive ease, providing some commanding performances already after just four games with the club.
Kouadja has been a stand-out for City with some strong defending, calm distribution and excellent organisation at the back.
He is a defender who wants the ball and very rarely picks a wrong pass or fails to hit his intended target.
Even when moved to an unfamiliar left-back position earlier in this campaign, Kouadja looked at ease and showed that he is a versatile performer.
He will certainly have to be at best when City host Mamelodi Sundowns at the Cape Town Stadium in their MTN8 semi-final first leg on Saturday and his performance could be a key factor in the result.
He is likely to forge a centre-back pairing with Taariq Fielies, who was excellent in his first season in the PSL in the last campaign and has taken over as the chief organiser at the back in the absence of Robyn Johannes, who left for BidVest Wits.
For Kouadja, his move to City provides the possibility of some much-needed stability in an otherwise journeyman career so far for a player who is still only 23.
Born in Dabou, Ivory Coast, his first professional club in Europe was FC Saxan in Moldova before he embarked on a loan spell at Romanian side Astra Giurgiu. He then spent six months at FK Slutsk in Belarus before a year with FK Aktobe in Kazakhstan.
He moved to FK Tambov at the start of the 201718 campaign, but did not settle there and before this season had not kicked a ball in competitive football in over a year.
He looked as though he would move to Spanish La Liga side Getafe, but that fell through and he ended up at City.
He certainly looks to have the ability to play on the major European stage though. Having got him on a free, it looks like an excellent piece of business for City who have shown a willingness to sell their prized assets in recent times with the departure of Lebo Manyama, Aubrey Ngoma and Lehlohonolo Majoro in the last 12 months.