Cape Town - Returning to Cape Town will be a homecoming for Mark Mayambela after he signed for Ajax on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old, who was released by SuperSport in April after being deemed surplus to requirements by coach Stuart Baxter, returns to Ajax after being on trial with the club in 2007. But the Khayelitsha-born left winger joined Bloemfontein Celtic instead, but after playing for six different clubs, has finally signed a contract with the Urban Warriors.
Mayambela was unveiled as an Ajax player on their Facebook page on Tuesday, and is set to make his debut for Roger de Sa’s team against his former club Orlando Pirates in a Premiership clash on September 13 at Cape Town Stadium.
“I would like to thank Ajax Cape Town, the chairman Mr Ari (Efstathiou), and of course a special thanks to Mr Roger for putting his head on the block! I know he had a lot of calls and people trying to stop him from signing me!” Mayambela said on Tuesday.
“But I’m grateful to the team and the players, they’ve made me feel at home and I am enjoying myself. Hopefully things will work out well for me and the team. Having played for Pirates and Celtic with their big fan numbers, it has helped me to deal with the expectations.”
De Sa worked with Mayambela at Pirates previously, and believes his experience will be valuable alongside the generally young Ajax side. “He’s a match-winner, a special player. I had a chat with him and he knows that. When he’s good, he’s exceptional and he has to produce those moments a lot more than what he has in the past. Coming here, there may be a bit less pressure on him,” the coach said.
“It’s nice to have a grown man on the field, compared to just 18 and 19-year-olds, to have that kind of player around. Mark will bring us much more than what he can do on the field. He is a mature guy now and amongst the youngsters, he is definitely going to help in the change-room as well.
“I had him at Pirates for a season and he was very good for me, and I think it will give him a great opportunity to get his career on track.”
De Sa added that there may be “one or two surprises coming up” with regards to further signings, and it is believed that Lebogang “Cheeseboy” Mokoena may be one of the other new names on their way to Ikamva before the transfer window closes at midnight on Wednesday.
Mokoena has also been training with Ajax in recent weeks along with Mayambela, having become a free agent after his contract with Mamelodi Sundowns expired in June.
The 29-year-old Mokoena is an exciting right winger who first made his name as a teenager with Pirates, but has been hampered by injuries at Sundowns.