Aces reborn as Cape Town City
by Nick Said
2016-06-30 06:37:16.0
CAPE Town City will make their bow in the 2016-17 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season, as the new franchise risen out of the ashes of Mpumalanga Black Aces was launched on Wednesday.
The club‚ owned by John Comitis‚ will make their professional debut with a high-profile MTN8 meeting against Kaizer Chiefs at their Cape Town Stadium base on a date yet to be determined.
The club is an ambitious project that seeks to unify 100 grass-roots teams that play in the Safa leagues to feed into their academy that is potentially to be based in Nyanga.
Discussions over the project started with Safa Western Cape president Norman Arendse last November and culminated in the purchase of Black Aces’ franchise to form a professional team for the grass-roots sides to feed into.
"It was clear‚ if you don’t tap into the heart of the guy at the grass roots‚ you cannot succeed at the top. This is a club for the people‚" Comitis said.
"It’s about linking the bottom (grass roots) to the top and showing a clear path of how to get there. Any players that are developed through our grass-roots affiliates and are sold to‚ for example, Portugal‚ those euros will not just come to Cape Town City but also filter down to grass roots as well. That is in writing."
The club has retained 14 players from Black Aces‚ but Comitis says their aim is to have the team represented by at least 80% Capetonians in the future.
He said he was delighted with the players who had come to the Mother City from Black Aces‚ admitting that he had lent heavily on the advice of former coach Muhsin Ertugral‚ who has since jumped ship to Orlando Pirates‚ to pick the nucleus of the team.
"This is the pick of Muhsin for this coming season‚" Comitis said.
"It’s the core of last season’s successful team and we will build from this and move forward. In the end we will have a squad of 24 or 25. We are having trials with players from Spain and Australia‚ as well as local players‚ to get the right squad mix."
Many players have already made a commitment to Cape Town City. The team will play in a blue jersey with a thick yellow hoop just below the chest.
TMG Digital
WELCOME TO OUR TEAM: Owner John Comitis introduces his new club to the media on Wednesday. Picture: CHRIS RICCO/BACKPAGEPIX
CAPE Town City will make their bow in the 2016-17 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season, as the new franchise risen out of the ashes of Mpumalanga Black Aces was launched on Wednesday.
The club‚ owned by John Comitis‚ will make their professional debut with a high-profile MTN8 meeting against Kaizer Chiefs at their Cape Town Stadium base on a date yet to be determined.
The club is an ambitious project that seeks to unify 100 grass-roots teams that play in the Safa leagues to feed into their academy that is potentially to be based in Nyanga.
Discussions over the project started with Safa Western Cape president Norman Arendse last November and culminated in the purchase of Black Aces’ franchise to form a professional team for the grass-roots sides to feed into.
"It was clear‚ if you don’t tap into the heart of the guy at the grass roots‚ you cannot succeed at the top. This is a club for the people‚" Comitis said.
"It’s about linking the bottom (grass roots) to the top and showing a clear path of how to get there. Any players that are developed through our grass-roots affiliates and are sold to‚ for example, Portugal‚ those euros will not just come to Cape Town City but also filter down to grass roots as well. That is in writing."
The club has retained 14 players from Black Aces‚ but Comitis says their aim is to have the team represented by at least 80% Capetonians in the future.
He said he was delighted with the players who had come to the Mother City from Black Aces‚ admitting that he had lent heavily on the advice of former coach Muhsin Ertugral‚ who has since jumped ship to Orlando Pirates‚ to pick the nucleus of the team.
"This is the pick of Muhsin for this coming season‚" Comitis said.
"It’s the core of last season’s successful team and we will build from this and move forward. In the end we will have a squad of 24 or 25. We are having trials with players from Spain and Australia‚ as well as local players‚ to get the right squad mix."
Many players have already made a commitment to Cape Town City. The team will play in a blue jersey with a thick yellow hoop just below the chest.
TMG Digital
