Cape Town - As Cape Town City prepare for their inaugural fixture in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), club boss John Comitis gave some insight into his vision to link the new Mother City side to a top team in England.
City kick off their debut campaign in the PSL with a home game against Polokwane City at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday, August 23. With the excitement and enthusiasm around the establishment of the new club - after Comitis purchased the PSL franchise of Mpumalanga Black Aces - City are hopeful of a good turnout for their opening fixture. Tickets go on sale at Computicket on Wednesday.
Comitis announced the details of the arrangements, while, at the same time, revealing a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes thinking with regard to the future plans of the club.
After last week's signing of Australian James Brown, who had played for Melbourne City, one of the teams in the lucrative City Football Group, Comitis again ignited speculation about the Cape team’s future. Established as a network of linked clubs, which includes Manchester City, New York City (USA), Melbourne City (Australia) and Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan), Comitis had previously already hinted at the possibility of being part of the City group.
But, while that remains on the cards, Comitis confirmed that City had initiated talks with English champions Leicester City.
“I have said before that the City Group is in the back of my mind, but I can tell you that we have made an approach to Leicester City,” said Comitis. “I think we have the same kind of aura as Leicester, They’ve come from nowhere, with a host of committed players, in blue, like us, and changed the face of English football, we would like to believe that we can do the same.
“As for the City Group (sponsored by Etihad Airways), that interest is also still there, because I will always look at linking with a club in Europe. And I can tell you that Eithad is trying to land in Cape Town... and isn’t that co-incidence or synchronicity?”
Comitis, though, is well aware that all the good work and big talk counts for nothing if the team doesn’t perform on the field. With this in mind, the opening match against Polokwane is crucial if City are to make an impression on the Cape’s football followers.
For the game, 20 000 tickets have been made available: General Stand Tickets (R40) and Grandstand Tickets (R65). The club is also introducing a Golden Circle Section for the fixture, for which the cost of a ticket is R150. For this section, just 500 luxury lounge seats are available. It includes a cash bar facility, food canteen and sitting among the Cape football legends City will invite to the match. For corporates, there are 20 luxury private suites available.
“In my 20 years being of involved in Cape football, I have never experienced such a buzz for ownership by Capetonians for a Cape Town club,” said Comitis. “And the enthusiasm has come from all sectors of our city, We are limiting tickets to 20 000 for our inaugural game, while 3 500 tickets have already been taken up by corporates.”
Cape Argus