Cape Town - As much as it’s shaping up to be an interesting season in the English Premier League, with the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Antonio Conte in charge of Chelsea, the PSL has also been sparked by some intriguing new developments.
Not only is there increased focus on the Mother City’s new top-flight club, Cape Town City, another new team in Swallows FC is set for its arrival in the PSL after it purchased the franchise of Free State Stars last week.
In addition, Soweto Giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, smarting after playing second fiddle to Mamelodi Sundowns last season, have dramatically and drastically overhauled their squads.
It certainly doesn’t look as if Sundowns will have things all their way this coming season - there are just far too many teams determined to chase success. But a really fascinating debut appearance in the PSL this season is Highlands Park.
Promoted from the NFD, the once-great Gauteng club has been awakened - and it will make for absorbing viewing to see how they go.In a bygone era, during times of segregated football, Highlands Park was one of the country’s glamour clubs.
Established in 1959, the club won the white-aligned National Football League (NFL) title an astonishing eight times during the 1960s and 1970s, such was their dominance of the period. Over the years, they had top-class players like Charlie Gough, Joe Frickleton, Walter da Silva, Martin Cohen, Des Backos, Larry de Freitas, Jingles Pereira, and Ivan and Manny Pinheiro.
Ironically, one of their arch-rivals at the time was Cape Town City, a team that has now been revived by Cape football boss, John Comitis. Imagine the nostalgia in certain sections of the public when Highlands take on City during the coming season?Jomo Sono then bought Highlands in 1983. Later, the team’s name would eventually change to Jomo Cosmos.
It was in 2003 that a new incarnation of Highlands took root. The club began putting place the structures and long-term plan that would eventually - 13 years later - see them promoted to the PSL.
It’s been a long and arduous journey - but they are finally reaping the rewards of patience and planning.Already, they have been hard at work behind the scenes to ensure that they are ready for what will be a daunting debut campaign in the top flight.
Strengthening the squad was always going to be a priority - and Highlands have made their intentions clear with a host of experienced signings for the coming season.
The new players include the high-profile capture of Mpumalanga Black Aces striker Collins Mbesuma‚ who was last season’s top goal-scorer.
Black Aces have now been re-named Cape Town City - but, with Mbesuma at the end of his contract, he preferred to stay in Gauteng and opted to sign for Highlands.
The other new signings are Cape Town’s Brandon Theron (from Milano United), Edwin Sitayitayi (Moroka Swallows)‚ Seun Ledwaba (Royal Eagles)‚ Eddie Ngalo and Thanduyise Khuboni (both Black Aces)‚ Agustine Mbara (Dynamos‚ Zimbabwe), Junior Sibande (University of Pretoria)‚ JP van der Merwe (Wits), Lebogang Ditsele (Township Rollers‚ Botswana) and Charlton Mashumba (Jomo Cosmos).Highlands coach Alan Freese, a former head coach of Platinum Stars, was confident of a good showing.“We are not even thinking of relegation,” Freese said.
“We will try to finish as high as we can in our first season in the PSL…“The main aim is to first stabilise the side, especially after bringing in a number of new players. I think I’ve got some good new players, they were all signed with a view to strengthen the departments we felt we were lacking.“
Now the priority is to get the squad to gel and get to know each other, so that the players are ready to go when the PSL kicks off.
Cape Argus