Who is the Cape’s big hope this season?
It’s hard to tell. One year, it’s this club showing promise, the following year it’s another.
In truth, it’s been pretty unstable over the years and the results are showing on the field with no Kaapse representative in the NFD this season.
There was a time when the Cape had SIX clubs in the PSL – three in the Premiership, and three in the NFD.
Back to back wins. Back to back clean sheets.
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) August 10, 2023
Current #DStvPrem table as our 100% winning start continues! ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ENN4zO9Sn7
Let’s turn back the clock a bit to the days when Hellenic, the “Greek Gods”, and Cape Town Spurs were two of the founder members of the current PSL with Santos joining them a season later.
Hellenic were sold in 2004 and are now trying to rebuild in the amateur ranks.
Spurs, meanwhile, entered the PSL era as reigning champions, but were soon amalgamated with an exciting football club called Seven Stars to form Ajax Cape Town in 1999.
The third club,Santos, have fallen all the way down to the ABC Motsepe League and don’t look like they will be back anytime soon.
Such has been the life of a football fan in the Cape, you never know who to pin your hopes on to challenge for titles.
We’ve been well-represented from the very beginning.
This season, we once again have three teams representing us in the top flight. But who will fly the flag this year?
Stellenbosch FC are in the semi-finals of the MTN8 where they were drawn against reigning champions Orlando Pirates.
It’s also only their second appearance in the last four of any tournament in the top flight after last season’s Nedbank fairytale run which ended on penalties against Sekhukhune United in the semis.
We will welcome Orlando Pirates back to the Western Cape in the semi-final of this season's #MTN8 competition.
— Stellenbosch FC (@StellenboschFC) August 13, 2023
Further fixture and ticket information will be confirmed in due course 🎟️#StellenboschFC 🍇 pic.twitter.com/wAvRWxqI15
In the league they look inconsistent, having started with a 1-0 victory over highly-favoured Orlando Pirates only to fall to a 1-0 defeat against newly-promoted Polokwane City four days later!
They are off to MamKhize’s Harry Gwala Stadium to visit Royal AM on Friday.
Spurs are struggling to find their mojo and currently sit bottom of the table with no points or goals scored but have conceded three.
⚫️🟡 𝐍![CDATA[]]>𝐄![CDATA[]]>𝐗![CDATA[]]>𝐓 𝐌![CDATA[]]>𝐀![CDATA[]]>𝐓![CDATA[]]>𝐂![CDATA[]]>𝐇 ⚫️🟡
— RoyalAM_FC (@RAMFC_sa) August 14, 2023
🆚 @StellenboschFC
🗓️ 18 Aug
⏰ 19h30
🏟️ Harry Gwala Stadium
🏆 DStvpremiership
🎟️ Webtickets / Pick’n’Pay #royalam #thwihlithwahla #nextmatch #harrygwalastadium pic.twitter.com/3Axxt7As7C
The Urban Warriors have no choice but to get a victory against
Polokwane City on Saturday, and get their season going.
The two rivals’ intense title battle in the NFD last season can serve as motivation to settle scores.
As for Cape Town City, you can expect changes to their team for
Friday’s away match at SuperSport United..
Coach Eric Tinkler has welcomed the return of stalwart Taariq Fielies from suspension to stabilise his side’s defence.
Besides being a reliable defender, the City boss reckons that Fielies also offers his side a lot more on the ball.
It, however, remains to be seen if he will partner Ashley Cupido in the centre, or if they will continue with the three-man defensive set up they went with in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8.
Tinkler might also unleash new signing Thabiso Kutumela who was watching from the stands on Sunday.
The attacker joins from Mamelodi Sundowns on a season-long loan, with the Citizens head coach excitedly highlighting his “goalscoring attributes” as an added weapon.
Welcome to City, Kutumela! 💙 pic.twitter.com/NdvEuYEnDX
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) August 16, 2023
City beat Polokwane 1-0 in their league opener at home, and followed that up with another 1-0 victory away at Moroka Swallows, so they started the league campaign on a high.
Anyway, for a province with a football heritage as deep as the Cape, you’d expect to have at least one regular title challenger. The least you expect is to have some of the best football facilities to host top-flight football.
That’s not the case here in the Cape, however, which will see City and Spurs share Athlone Stadium until the upgrades to the Cape Town Stadium’s pitch have been completed at the end of this month.
Interestingly, both stadiums have been reclassified and are no longer recognised as football facilities.
Tshegofatso Nyama: Assist on debut 🅰️
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) August 7, 2023
Jó Paciência: Goal on debut ✅#iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/xY094WMIX5
I found this all out while preparing for the MTN8 weekend.
Athlone will no longer be prioritised for football as it has now been reclassified to a multi-purpose venue – which means not only other sports but non-sporting events such a music concert, for example, will be given preference even during football season.
I couldn’t get a final word if this means it goes to the highest bidder in a case of a double-booking request, but it’s first come, first serve as far as things stand currently.
Even the offices inside the stadium are no longer reserved for football entities, even Safa Cape Town are not allowed back in since they were locked out back in 2019.
The CT Stadium was especially built as a big part of the upgrade of the Green Point sports grounds and hosted the 2010 World Cup, has been renamed for sponsorship reasons of its new tenants Western Province Rugby.
The football Cape’s football leadership will have to shoulder most of the blame for allowing things to get this bad right under their noses.
Athlone should have been renamed after a local football legend a long time ago.
Those that are supposed to champion such initiatives are more obsessed about fighting for power and being seen instead.
These facilities are built and refurbished on football budgets but now that things are standing, football is no longer prioritised, instead rugby and all other events might get preference.
I’m really concerned about what will happen to football when rugby seasons are in full swing and major events – like the annual World Rugby Sevens – coming to the Mother City.
We need to get serious as a football community here and start securing our spaces, otherwise the City of Cape Town will be forced to take care of their bottomline!