Former Ajax Cape Town goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola has called time on his football career, having spent three seasons with the Urban Warriors.
Jaakkola called his time in football at the age of 36 as he was without a club after leaving Bristol City at the end of the 2022/23 season.
“This was it, a career as a professional soccer player,” said Jaakkola on X space, previously known as Twitter.
“For an incredible 17 years. I have been able to live every little boy’s dream and play professionally around the world.”
The Finland international spent three successful seasons with Urban Warriors, now known as Cape Town Spurs again, as he was in goals when Roger De Sa’s Spurs beat Kaizer Chiefs in the MTN8 final in the 2015/16 season at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Nathan Paulse scored the winning penalty, sending Itumeleng Khune the wrong way, where the late Cecil Lolo was at his best.
Jaakkola was also in goals when Ajax lost the Nedbank Cup final to Pitso Mosimane’s Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties in the previous season, also at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
De Sa was also on the bench in that game, before Jaakkola left at the end of the 2015/16 season to join Reading in the English Championship, which was a big money move.
He had joined Ajax ahead of the 2013/14 season from Scottish side Kilmarnock.
In total, Jaakkola featured in 86 matches for Spurs, before spending five years with Bristol Rovers. At the international level, Jaakkola featured in just three matches but sadly his country did not qualify to any big event.
