The arrival of Cape Town City has forced neighbours Ajax Cape Town out of the complacency that has hindered the progress of the Parow-based club in recent years.
There’s an ambitious rival in Green Point determined to capture the imagination of the Mother City’s football followers. And, if Ajax don’t get their act together on the field, and quickly too, they run the risk of Capetonians throwing in their lot with new kids City.
With this as background, the anticipation for the start of the new PSL season has settled into a warm glow of readiness. It’s finally here …
For the Mother City’s two PSL clubs – City and Ajax – there are challenges aplenty. From a purely parochial perspective, City’s incursion into the hurly-burly of top-flight football has energised the Cape. The buzz they created last season has grown into a booming, boisterous cacophony.
They’re a big hit on social media, they are continuing to capture the imagination of football fans across South Africa, and the arrival of Benni McCarthy as coach has exponentially increased interest in the club.
In fact, if there’s a game to look forward to in the PSL, it’s the Cape derby between City and Ajax. There’s a genuine rivalry, a notable conflict and a palpable niggle between the two clubs – and this has definitely elevated the appeal of the clash.
The derby has long been in the doldrums in the Mother City, but has been awakened by the formation of City. Scheduled for next month, rest assured, Cape fans have already pencilled this in as a fixture not to be missed.
Before that, though, there’s still lots to be done and much football to be played. City get the league season under way when they are in Johannesburg this evening to take on champions Wits (8pm), while Ajax are at home to Golden Arrows at Cape Town Stadium tomorrow night (8.15pm).
For City, after finishing third last season, both the squad and new coach McCarthy have a great deal to live up to. Can they maintain the momentum of what was a sensational debut campaign last season?
For McCarthy, there’ll be extra motivation when he comes up against his former mentor Gavin Hunt tonight. Unfortunately (or is that fortunately for McCarthy?), Wits coach Hunt won’t be on the bench, after being sent off in last week’s MTN8 win over Arrows.
The new City coach, though, knows that Hunt’s absence won’t make the challenge any easier – McCarthy, by his own admission, believes Hunt is the best coach in the country; he is also fully aware that Wits have a strong squad capable of retaining the title this season.
As for Ajax, after a few years of misery and struggle, it’s improve or bust this season. It is with this in mind that Ajax have considerably beefed up their squad.
One new recruit, speedy winger Innocent Nemukondeni, is certainly looking forward to his stint at new club Ajax. Now 25-years-old, he’s already accustomed to success, in that he knows what it takes to achieve on the big stage.
“All I want to do is win, I hate losing,” said Nemukondeni, who is nicknamed "Drogba". “I came to Ajax because I want to win trophies and I want to help them get it.”