Cape Town Spurs F.C.

Cape Town Spurs F.C. (formerly known as Ajax Cape Town) is a South African professional football club based in Parow in the city of Cape Town that plays in the South African Premier Division. Dutch Eredivisie club AFC Ajax was their parent club and majority shareholder after a merger of both Cape Town Spurs and Seven Stars in January 1999 until selling its shares in September 2020.[2]

Cape Town Spurs
Full nameCape Town Spurs Football Club
Nickname(s)Urban Warriors
Founded11 January 1970 (1970-01-11)
GroundAthlone Stadium (most games), Parow Park[1]
Capacity34,000, 2,000
ChairmanAri Efstathiou
ManagerShaun Bartlett
LeagueSouth African Premier Division
2022–23National First Division, 2nd
WebsiteClub website

History

Cape Town Spurs were formed on 11 January 1970, competing in the National Professional Soccer League from 1971 until 1984, and the National Soccer League from 1985 to 1995, winning the championship in the final season, before the establishment of the South African Premier Division in 1996. The club also won league and the Cup in 1995, then known as the Bob Save Super Bowl.

In 1999 Ajax Cape Town was formed via the amalgamation of two Cape Town-based teams, Seven Stars and Cape Town Spurs, as AFC Ajax expanded their worldwide talent-feeder network to South Africa, with the club adopting the club crest of the Amsterdam-based club.[3] Ajax Cape Town was originally founded by John Comitis and Rob Moore in 1999. John Comitis, the honouree life chairman of Ajax Cape Town, later sold his shares in the club after 14 years at the helm and is now the chairmen of his new football team, Cape Town City Football Club.

Ajax, nicknamed Urban Warriors, played their first official game against Kaizer Chiefs in the Iwisa Charity Spectacular on 17 July 1999. Ajax caused an upset when they beat Chiefs 1–0 with Sam Pam, the Ajax Cape Town captain, scoring the winning goal.

Former South Africa national team coach Gordon Igesund, the country's most successful club coach,[4] who won league titles with Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates, Santos and Sundowns, coached the club from 2002 until 2006.

Since coming into existence, Ajax has never won the league title with their highest finish being runners-up in 2003–04, 2007–08 and 2010–11. Ajax managed to win the Rothmans Cup in 2000, the Nedbank Cup in 2007, the Telkom Knockout in 2008 and most recently the MTN8 in 2015.

In January 2007 Ajax CT managed to beat AFC Ajax 3–1 in a friendly game held in Cape Town. The next friendly, played in Amsterdam, ended in a 3–2 win for AFC Ajax in July 2009.

Over the years several Ajax CT players have made the step to the mother club, among them Steven Pienaar in 2002, Daylon Claasen in 2009, Eyong Enoh in 2008 and Thulani Serero in 2011.

In July 2013, it was announced that the Comitis brothers, longtime partners and shareholders with the Efstathiou brothers, had sold their Cape Town Stars shares, (19.6 % of Ajax Cape Town), to the Efstathiou family.[5] Ari Efstathiou was announced as the new chairman, and Muhsin Ertuğral was reinstated as manager of the club, following an interim managerial period after originally being hired as the club's new technical director.[6]

In September 2015, Ajax won the 2015 MTN8 tournament edging Kaizer Chiefs 1–0 in the final.

Ajax CT were relegated to the National First Division after finishing bottom in the 2017–18 season due to points been deducted. Ajax CT were deducted points for apparently playing Thendai Ndoro, who, according to the Premier Soccer League was an illegible player. Ajax CT had previously been given the green light by the league and had officially registered the player with them as they were in possession of his player card. The team, therefore, would have not been relegated, had the points unfairly not been deducted, and had the league not overturned their original decision that Ndoro was eligible to play.

Ajax CT finished in 4th place, outside of the playoff positions, in the 2018–19 National First Division, and again failed to achieve promotion the following season after losing in the playoffs to Black Leopards. Shortly thereafter, Ajax Amsterdam sold their 51% share in Ajax Cape Town.[2]

In 2020, Ajax CT ended their association with Dutch club AFC Ajax, with Cape Town Stars acquiring full control of the club, and they subsequently renamed it Cape Town Spurs.[7][8][9]

Youth programme

The likes of Nazeer Allie, Granwald Scott and Thulani Hlatshwayo came up through the youth ranks, while others such as Steven Pienaar and Thulani Serero have moved on to some of the top clubs in Europe.

As of 2011, the then Ajax Cape Town Community Scheme had been implemented in more than 120 schools across the Western Cape as far as the Cape Winelands, reaching more than 8,000 children.[10]

Stadium

Cape Town Spurs play most of their games at the Athlone Stadium.

From 1999, Ajax CT played their home games at Athlone Stadium and Newlands Stadium. The latter is a 51,900 capacity venue, which was first built in 1888, and was also host to the 1995 Rugby World Cup opening match. Essentially being a rugby stadium, it was a home they shared with clubs Santos and Vasco da Gama, as well as rugby teams Stormers and Western Province. Athlone Stadium was home to the Santos and has a capacity of 30,000. The stadium located in Athlone, Cape Town was also host to some of Ajax CT early home matches as well.

Moving to the Green Point Stadium, an 18,000 seat multi-purpose stadium in the Green Point area of Cape Town. The stadium was eventually demolished in 2007 to make way for the new Cape Town Stadium for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Construction of the new stadium was completed in 2009, and the Urban Warriors played their home games at the Cape Town Stadium from the beginning of the 2010–11 Premier Soccer League season to an improved capacity of 55,000. On 3 August 2011 a contract extension of three years was negotiated with the stadium, which saw Ajax CT play their home games there until 2014.[11][12]

The first match played at the new stadium was a Cape Town derby between Ajax CT and Santos on 23 January 2010 as part of the official inauguration of the stadium.

Spurs train at their home base located in Parow. (33°53′45.5″S 18°34′41.5″E). It serves as the training grounds for the senior squad, as well as for the Ajax Cape Town Youth Development Academy. It has hosted a number of foreign clubs among them German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart during their midseason camp in 2014 as well as Viking FK from Norway.[13]

Honours

National titles

Cup competitions

Pre-season

1. Trophies won as Ajax Cape Town F.C. from 11 January 1999 to 28 September 2020.

Performance in CAF competitions

Continental appearances
2005 – Group stage (Top 8)
2009 – First Round
2008 – First Round of 16

Continental results
Season Competition Round Country Club Score CCP (1)
2005 Champions League Preliminary Round  Swaziland Mhlambanyatsi Rovers 1–0, 1–1 2.0
First Round  Burkina Faso ASFA Yennenga 1–0, 0–1
Second Round  Guinea Fello Star 2–0, 0–2
Final Group Round  Nigeria Enyimba 1–1, 2–0
 Morocco Raja Casablanca 1–1, 0–3
 Egypt Al Ahly 2–0, 0–0
2008 Confederation Cup First Round  Seychelles Anse Réunion 1–0, 4–1 1.0
First Round of 16  Cameroon Mount Cameroon 5–1, 0–5
2009 Champions League First Round  Zimbabwe Monomotapa United 3–2, 1–2 0.3
(1) CCP = CAF Co-efficiency points. Total number of points for CAF Coefficient: 17.0

Club records

South African Premier Division record

National First Division record

Players
As of 2023[14]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK South Africa RSA Zama Dlamini
3 DF South Africa RSA Cohen Stander
4 DF South Africa RSA Clayton Daniels
5 DF South Africa RSA Thendo Mukumela
6 MF South Africa RSA Jarrod Moroole
7 FW South Africa RSA Eyama Ndondo
8 MF South Africa RSA Granwald Scott
10 MF South Africa RSA Abednego Mosiatlhaga
11 FW South Africa RSA Colin Ryan (footballer)
12 DF Namibia NAM Kennedy Amutenya
14 DF Brazil BRA Jairo
15 MF Angola ANG Moises Amor
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 GK South Africa RSA Lincoln Veyver
17 MF South Africa RSA Asenele Velebayi
18 MF South Africa RSA Reggy Zondi
19 FW South Africa RSA Boitumelo Radiopane
22 FW South Africa RSA Siphiwe Mbambane
23 DF South Africa RSA Junior Sibande
24 DF South Africa RSA Rushin Dortley
25 MF South Africa RSA Linamandla Mchilizeli
26 DF South Africa RSA Gregory Damons
27 DF South Africa RSA Keanan Abrahams
29 FW South Africa RSA Ashley Cupido
31 MF South Africa RSA Riyaad Norodien
33 MF South Africa RSA Chumani Butsaka
— GK South Africa RSA Russell Cruickshank

On loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Retired numbers

Club officials/Technical team
  • Honorary Life Chairman: N/A
  • Chief Executive Officer: Greece Alexi Efstathiou
  • Chairman & Director: Greece Ari Efstathiou
  • Chief Operating Officer: Coenrad Fourie
  • General Manager of Football: South Africa Shooz Mekuto
  • Head coach: South Africa Shaun Bartlett
  • Assistant coach: South Africa Nassief Morris
  • Goalkeeper coach: South Africa Calvin Marlin
  • ABC Motsepe team coach: South Africa Duncan Crowie

Notable former players
Main article: List of Ajax Cape Town players

Managers

References
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  3. Bindl, Florian (21 November 2019). "Football talents made by Ajax". Cape Chameleon. Archived from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. Soccer in South Africa Archived 17 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
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  9. October 2020, FourFourTwo Staff 08. "Cape Town Spurs launch new logo". fourfourtwo.com.
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