Cape Town City are brimming with confidence as they prepare to kick off their Betway Premiership Promotional Playoff campaign against Orbit College at the DHL Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Under the watchful eyes of interim head coach Diogo Peral and his experienced assistants, Roger de Sá and Lebogang Manyama, the team has looked sharp and energised in training this week. The trio will be hoping that the positive energy and cohesion shown behind closed doors will translate to the pitch on Saturday.
The playoffs got underway on Wednesday, with Orbit College and Casric Stars playing out a goalless stalemate — a result that keeps the door wide open for City to set the tone with a strong performance in their opener.
After Thursday’s intense and high-tempo training session, midfielder Fortune Makaringe — formerly of Maritzburg United and Orlando Pirates — shared his optimism ahead of the weekend clash. Speaking with a calm confidence, he said the squad was in good spirits and that he was personally looking forward to facing some familiar faces from his Pirates days.
Orbit’s squad features several promising youngsters on loan from the Buccaneers, including Gomolemo Khoto, Siyabulela Mabele, and Ndumiso Ngiba. That added layer of familiarity could offer Makaringe, in particular, a tactical edge as they look to navigate their way back to top-flight football.
“There are a couple of players that are on loan there,” Makaringe told iDiski Times.
“Even when I was still at Pirates, there were players who were there. So they have a good relationship, I would say.
“And luckily for me, when you’re not in the 18-man squad, you’d have to play alongside the players from Diski and Pele Pele, so I got a chance to rub shoulders with those players.
“And to see them doing well, actually, it’s a nice gesture for all the young talent out there.”
With momentum building and the stakes sky-high, City know that a strong start could set the tone for the rest of the playoff campaign.
