City test for Kaizer Chiefs

It is now seven days to the start of the Absa Premiership and Kaizer Chiefs and Cape Town City will lock horns in a final preparatory game at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit at 3pm this afternoon.

This will be Amakhosi’s third match against a Premiership side having already tested their readiness against Free State Stars and Mamelodi Sundowns.

Amakhosi’s new coach Giovanni Solinas is expected to be on the bench for the first time since being announced two weeks ago.

It is from this match that the team’s fans may see what kind of formations and game model the Italian mentor will introduce to the team who are desperate for a revival after a three-year dry spell under former coach Steve Komphela.

Striker Dumisani Zuma said this week that playing against formidable opponents like City is what they needed so close to the start of the official campaign.

“We are happy to play this match. It is important because we are playing against a good team in City. We have been doing well with the preparations and are looking forward to the match,” he said.

City have also played a few friendlies in their pre-season camp in Gauteng this week and their coach Benni McCarthy said he was happy with how things have been going. City played Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates earlier in the week before heading to Mpumalanga for their final pre-season friendly.

Ajax Cape Town City have meanwhile confirmed that they have accepted their relegation to the National First Division.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, club CEO Ari Efstathiou said Thursday’s court process put the club in a very difficult spot and they have decided to accept their fate of playing in the NFD next season.

The Urban Warriors backed off on their court application to interdict the start of the Absa Premiership after the Premier Soccer League were granted leave to appeal Judge Denise Fischer’s ruling that had reinstated Ajax to the top flight.

“We feel we have done everything to follow the rules. We played Tendai Ndoro when were allowed to, but unfortunately the process got complicated.

“Thursday was a time issue, the way the court process went put us in a very difficult spot,” he said.

Ajax, however, plan to follow through with their remaining appeal that will is still pending but accept its fate that they will now compete in the NFD for the upcoming 2018/19 season.