Cape Town City chairman John Comitis has explained why it would be important for the Betway Premiership, if Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates lifted the title.
Comitis and Cape Town City have concluded their transfer business early this window, with most players arriving in time to join the club’s pre-season.
However, with Comitis also holding double role for City as well as on the Premier Soccer League executive board, he has insisted that local football needs a strong Chiefs and Pirates.
“If I’m standing at the Executive level and I’m looking at the product without being emotional about my own club, it’s important that Chiefs and Pirates win this league soon,” he said on Sport Nights Amplified.
“Because that’s good for business. Because you have the countries favourite clubs winning a football trophy in the country.
“It’s no different to what’s happening in other countries and they’ve lost that dominance because what Sundowns has done.
“To me, it’s important that there is always a Chiefs or a Pirates or a Sundowns in the mix of being on the top end – it’s the way things work.
“If I give you any country and I say name one or two clubs, you will always the equivalent Chiefs and Pirates clubs of those countries and we all know them.
“That’s what keeps the sponsors interested, that’s what keeps the broadcasters interested and it’s a reality.”
Comitis further explained that a strong Chiefs and Pirates will have a direct impact on the stadium attendances for club’s like City.
“To me when Chiefs hasn’t been up there and above there, we can feel the down, as a club that’s not Chiefs and Pirates,” he continued.
“We need them to be up there and playing great and then everybody wants to come and watch, and when you’re playing Chiefs you don’t get 18.000, we get like 32-34.000 fans.
“I know I’m taking against myself, but need to be smart and find the right players and compete with them,”
“When I was involved with Ajax, we compete with Pirates with 19 and 20 year olds. Remember when we won the Rothman’s Cup.
“But that’s a here and there, but it’s important how marketing and sponsors are work. This league is massive, when they are winning, stadiums are full, corporates want to be involved, broadcasters want to broadcast extra games – it’s a snowball effect.
“Let’s not kid ourselves but at the same time we also believe we’re capable of winning things.”
