Celtic deal almost done, says Sukazi
But Bloem club deny they’re selling their PSL status to Galaxy boss
THE uncertainty surrounding the future of cash-strapped Bloemfontein Celtic has caught the interest of Tim Sukazi.
The TS Galaxy owner has reportedly been working behind the scenes to acquire the status of the Free State club.
Sukazi speaks to Independent Media football writer Minenhle
Mkhize...
Question: Can you once and for all confirm whether you have tabled a proposal to buy the status of Celtic?
Answer: It is true. Our deadline for the financial clause is on May 31 and then after we will be heading for the approval of the PSL (Premier Soccer League). We will then apply for the NSL (National Soccer League) executive committee approval.
Once it is approved by the executive committee, everything will be completed. To be honest, we agreed in March (but) the lockdown messed up everything.
Q: Was it easy to convince Celtic to enter the negotiations?
A: Very much so because we spoke once last year about this but there was no time. This time around there’s been time.
They also have their own challenges as you know. They’ve had them for a few years now.
Q: If the deal does go through, what will happen to Celtic players?
A: How the transaction will work is that all the contracted players of Bloem Celtic will come on board. We can work everything out from here.
Obviously, we don’t want a squad of 60 players. We’ve got our own players (at Galaxy) who are good enough for this level and we all know this. So we will have to find a solution. With time, we will have to measure the two teams nicely.
Q: Where does this put Mabhuti Khenyeza, your head coach?
A: South Africa is lucky to have a coach like Mabhuti Khenyeza. That I can say without any fear of contradiction.
I’m not too concerned on the coaching front. Obviously we will have to look at the technical team of Celtic and Galaxy and then put together a formidable team. It is amazing, maybe one can come up with a combination. I don’t know but I haven’t thought through that.
Mabhuti is the head coach of TS Galaxy in this division (the secondtier GladAfrica Championship) and should we be in the PSL, he will be the head coach. There’s no reason to change that. He understands our environment and how we operate. He understands me as person.
Q: Celtic have a technical team and a head coach as well ...
A: (Lehlohonolo) Seema has done a fantastic job for Celtic. I think he could be a valuable addition as well; Seema and the whole technical team of Celtic.
I really appreciate that and one will have to reconsider our technical team and we will be quite broad; there will be even the MDC (Multichoice Diski Challenge reserve team).
There will be a whole lot of things involved. In so far as Mabhuti is concerned, he is head coach now and into the future. That is definite and I have no doubt.
Q: What happens to your Championship status if you do successfully acquire the PSL franchise of Celtic? I heard that African Warriors want to have your Championship status ...
A: We haven’t spoken to any person at African Warriors regarding our Championship status if the deal does go through.
However, once we go past our Celtic acquisition, we will have to dispose of it on our own. Definitely, that will happen.
It is a more of a lesser headache or challenge than acquiring the Celtic status. My priority and focus are more on the PSL status. Disposing of ours is much easier, I believe, but acquiring a PSL status is not an easy thing to do. My focus is there at the moment.
Q: Celtic have been going through turbulent times financially. Aren’t you afraid that might affect your pursuit of buying the club?
A: I prefer that people at Celtic speak about the debt part. What we have to do is to acquire the status and all personnel.
As I’m speaking to you, it is either they are resolving their debt now, with or without the acquisition.
Their debts have to be resolved one way or another, whether they sell the status or they don’t sell.
I don’t want to comment much on their debts. I’ll comment more on our part, which is to acquire their status.
Q: The passionate supporters of
Celtic do not really want to hear such news ...
A: The truth is that I really care about the supporters of Bloem Celtic. I feel their pain of being faced with the prospect of losing a team.
Personally, I have been a longtime admirer of Celtic supporters.
I still want to see them being a big part of football in one way or another. So, once all is done and dusted, I’ll have to find ways and means to speak to them and make sure that they are not lost to the game.
I don’t know what that would be but what I can assure you and them is that they will not be lost to the game. They will still be part of the game. Never mind having lost a club, I’ll make sure that we retain them.
How will that pan out? I’m not sure. Obviously, that requires consultation with them. We cannot as football afford to lose the supporters of Bloem Celtic.
Q: Why buy a PSL team? You’ve shown that you can win cups with Galaxy as it is.
A: I still maintain a view that it’s cheaper for us to buy a PSL status than running our endless marathon in the GladAfrica.
Unless someone can tell me that we are guaranteed promotion and then I wouldn’t buy a status. We will go for that and get promoted.
But having been in the NFD (National First Division, now the Championship), you can be locked there for many years and end up nowhere.
For an example, clubs like Witbank Spurs have been there for 14 years and now they are relegated. Time and again they were close
(to winning promotion). They were about to be promoted and challenging for the top three. We don’t want to be that. If the rule was that you stay there for three years and get promotion, then I’ll do it.
It is better to jump ship while you can. It can take longer. I can’t afford to delay our progression. This (TS Galaxy) is a project that belongs to the PSL.