[WATCH] Make or break: Cape Town City can use Cup absence to recharge for PSL push
|Published
Hitting heights: Taahir Goedeman
The Nedbank Cup break is a double-edged sword for Cape Town City.
They’ve been on a roll off late, grinding out some important results and got themselves back up the league table to fifth place.
The Citizens’ current form is off the back of a really tough 2023, so this cup break could either break their momentum or they could return recharged and can keep up with demands of the last quarter of the campaign.
SuperSport, Pirates and Chiefs pick up wins while Mamelodi Sundowns' 15-game win streak comes to an end 👇#DStvPrem
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) March 6, 2023
It had been a truly testing time for the club and head coach, Eric Tinkler.
They’re in good company now though, behind the Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs who are fourth and Orlando Pirates in third as well as second-placed SuperSport United and league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns from Tshwane.
It’s not a bad look at all for the Citizens. It’s where the club wants to be, to be mentioned among the elite names of SA football.
They will sit out the coming week because of the Nedbank Cup, while they lick their wounds after being knocked out by Royal AM in the last 32.
You can be the South African national cup champion by playing just five matches, and City blew their chances.
They will now take a break which could either be good for them to take a breather after doing the most to win over the past couple of weeks.
Doing it “ugly” as described by Tinkler after his side’s 2-0 victory against Swallows where their fortunes turned.
FULL TIME | GET IN! 😁![CDATA[]]>👊
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) February 19, 2023
💙 2-0 🐦 #iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/phV7WACmKt
They followed that up against Sekhukhune United with Bertrand Mani the scorer in that match before Saturday’s 2-1 win at Maritzburg United.
With no cup title to play for, ‘finishing as high as possible’ is all there is.
The team has no chance of being on the podium, but at least Taahir Goedeman and Taariq Fiellies can start cutting cloth for their suits to honour their invite for Goal of the Season at the PSL awards this year.
Their strikes against Swallows should be in the best goal discussion without a doubt, unless a Kaizer Chiefs player pops up. SA football sentiments might even add Munnapule Saleng’s backheel flick because he’s an Orlando Pirates player.
In my latest conversation with Daine Klate, On the Couch with Umjaka on YouTube, he said how big of an impact on one’s profile to play for Pirates, but he too didn’t manage to get a fair chance in Bafana Bafana colours because of a Chiefs player.
Even as the Player of the Season in 2010, he didn’t make the final World Cup squad.
So, Goedeman and Fiellies’ goals must be noted down now bafethu, no excuses! No mistakes and no drama.
Then there’s the transfer links, Khanyisa Mayo and Mduduzi Mdantsane are being targeted according to the rumour mill.
City should be okay to consider enquiries with a few decent young players ready to breakthrough.
Mdantsane’s departure could open up the slot for wonderkid Luphumlo ‘Kaka’ Sifumba to be promoted from the Diski Challenge team.
Jaedin Rhodes has already shown signs of being a 30-game player, so the attacking midfield should be alright between the two.
Mayo might be a more difficult to replace, so I say show him the money and keep him in the coast to connect the West and Eastern Cape.
Bring his father closer to the conversation. His brother Khanyisile is at Chippa United, so it’s only right that connection is exploited.
City can’t afford to keep losing all their quality players in the same transfer window, and risk it with new signings again.
They need to have a star-player, somebody fans can be excited about, the face of the franchise if you like.