Michaelson Ntokozo Gumede

By Ntokozo Gumede

Journalist


Patosi gives Comitis the feel-good factor

Cape Town City chairman John Comitis is pleased with Ayanda Patosi's return of two goals in two starts with The Citizens.


Patosi made an eyebrow-raising move when he joined City three months ago, turning his back on Belgian side SC Lokeren.

Even though the club tied down the 24-year-old on a three-year contract, Comitis is under no illusions that they will hold on to the player for the duration of his contract.

READ: We were never interested in Billiat – Comitis

“Ayanda has settled in nicely and that is what we were looking for when we acquired his services,” Comitis told Phakaaathi Plus.

“There is more to come from Ayanda and for me he needs to make sure he ends up in the Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup.

“My gut feeling is that he will not last for three years because he is probably going to be hungry to go to Europe again and that would be acceptable. But at the same time we need to make sure that he is contributing to the silverware that we are challenging for and I think the way he started he is showing us that he is up for it.”

Patosi netted in City’s impressive 3-1 league win at home to Platinum Stars and then grabbed the winner as City beat Bidvest Wits for the second time this season, in the first leg of their MTN8 semifinal.

It has been an amazing start to his career as a head coach for City’s Benni McCarthy, who has won all four of his Premier Soccer League games thus far. City have plenty to get excited about straight after the international break as well, with the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal at Wits followed a few days later by an Absa Premiership match at home to Kaizer Chiefs.

Patosi’s class, meanwhile, has also made the absence of Lebogang Manyama less felt, with the City captain left out of the side by McCarthy while speculation raged about his future.

ALSO READ: Manyama joins Turkish club Konyaspor