I really don’t think people understand how tragic it would be if Ajax Cape Town were to be relegated this season.
That’s why I’m hoping that all of you Cape football fans are rooting for the Urban Warriors to beat Kaizer Chiefs this Saturday and avoid the playoffs.
For them to go down would be devastating. Not just for the Mother City, but for South African football in general.
The game in the Cape is going through a rough time at the moment.
We’ve witnessed the demise of Santos and Hellenic and the exile of Chippa United in recent seasons.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN: Legend Benni McCarthy. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
There was the sale of Milano United’s NFD franchise last season and at the end of term Cape Town All Stars will give up their rights for Soweto giants Swallows to be resurrected.
Also, there was no Bayhill this season to keep the fans buzzing for the local game.
Then there is the running battle with Cape Town City and FC Kapstadt over Hartleyvale.
And because of all of this, my heart is yearning for something to feel good about.
Maybe Ajax can finally get their act together and give us a boost, hey.
We really need them to.
The club is so much more than a Kaapse symbol. Even more than a club.
It is and has been SA’s top producer of talent since its founding in 1999 when Cape Town Spurs and Seven Stars merged and joined up with their Amsterdam parent club in a deal that would give Benni McCarthy his break in Europe.
And Ajax have been that gateway to the top for many more players who have come to Ikamva since then.
There was Steven Pienaar, Thulani Serero and Keegan Dolly to name a few ouens.
CAPE QUALITY: Graduate Steven Pienaar. Photo:Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Then there’s all the countless other players strengthening their rivals - like Rivaldo Coetzee and Khama Billiat at Mamelodi Sundowns, Abbubaker Mobara at Orlando Pirates and the helese colony at Wits.
Many of us have criticised the club for selling those players before they mature to win things for the Cape.
But football is a business. Commodities are sold to make a profit. And Ajax is a goldmine that makes even Gauteng clubs shine.
So what makes Ajax players so sought after?
It’s what the club equips them with - a solid foundation of football.
That partnership with the Dutch super club has been the access point to some of the best football knowledge that this country can afford.
ONE OF AFRICA’S BEST: Old boy Khama Billiat . Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
It’s been a blessing for SA.
And it would be sad to see the club go down after it was nearly ripped apart in the 2011 Efstathiou-Comitis civil war.
The club has never recovered from that.
But Ajax remains Ajax and the bosses will have to make sure they lead this club to bigger and better things if they can avoid relegation.
This club’s motto is No Youth, No Future. But with no future, there will be no youths like the ones before.