There will be no mass exodus of players at Cape Town City this month, as the team that finished second in the DStv Premiership looks to build on their impressive season.
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This was confirmed to iDiski Times by City’s Commercial Director Michel Comitis, who said the club is not looking to build on their consistency they have had so far in 2022.
While City did make a number of changes in January, the club is now looking to hold onto their star players for this upcoming season where they will also make their debut in the CAF Champions League.
“I think it’s a bad time when you see 15 players released from a club, but at least it shows some intention,” Comitis told iDiski Times.
“I think a lot of clubs are starting to realize that football is not a part-time profession, that there’s players in this country that aren’t prepared to do what’s needed to compete at the highest level, then there’s no point in carrying passengers.
Players report for the first day of preseason today! ✊🏾#iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/NUV08IFdNX
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) June 22, 2022
“And I think that’s why you see a lot of players without work at the moment.
“I can definitely confirm that there’s not going to be 15 players leaving Cape Town City, but I think that’s a sign of just where we’re at the moment. Some clubs really need to change things and others need to keep consistent in terms of what they’re doing.
“Just because you keep them consistent with something doesn’t mean that you’re not doing anything, sometimes that’s the right thing to do.
“So, for us, we’ve worked on this for a while now, and the players that we have, have been recruited for a particular reason, and the combinations of players and the types of players in terms of what the coach is looking for, have been very considered.
“So I don’t think we’ll see for some time, a window where there’s a sort of mass exodus of players. And certainly not just players released on mass.”
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Comitis said that if and when players do leave, he expects them to head to Europe.
“We have a couple of really, really talented players and a lot of opportunities in Europe,” Comitis continued.
“I think for them, we have a big season now, so those opportunities are maybe not for now, but it’s inevitable. I think the players that I’m talking about, it’s inevitable that they’re going to go play at the highest level.
“So we’re just happy to have them and happy to compete, and at the time that we have the adequate replacements and the right opportunities arise for them, then you’ll see some players joining some pretty good clubs.”
The club’s Chairman John Comitis had earlier confirmed that Bongani Mpandle and Shane Roberts would be leaving, however, neither player were regulars at City this season, with Roberts spending time on loan at TS Galaxy, while Mpandle was a backup goalkeeper.