Cape Town City Could Lose Key Talents Amid Relegation and Sundowns Interest

Cape Town City face the potential departure of young stars Jody Ah Shene and Emile Witbooi, with Mamelodi Sundowns previously linked to deals for the duo following the Citizens’ relegation to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Club owner John Comitis confirmed that City offered three promising players to Sundowns in a reported multimillion-rand package as part of a push to raise funds for a PSL franchise purchase, which ultimately fell through. The proposed deal included striker Ah Shene, who scored for Amajita against France at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, alongside Witbooi and Jaedin Rhodes. The move was intended as a quick solution to regain top-flight status.

Speaking exclusively to Soccer Laduma, Comitis explained the motivation behind the approach. “We were trying to bring funds to the club so that we can buy a franchise. Unfortunately no one was willing to sell to us, so we had to roll up our sleeves for the long road,” he said.

Comitis also expressed frustration over the circumstances surrounding City’s relegation, particularly an extra game played after the season ended. “We were unfortunate as a club to be where we are, and I think we were also unfortunate in the boardroom. That wasn’t fair play. We were looking to regain our status and it was a quick solution,” he added.

Ah Shene’s World Cup commitments have temporarily stalled negotiations with Sundowns. “It didn’t happen but Sundowns are still pursuing Jody. The World Cup distracted him because he wanted to go and perform there first. We will regroup when he gets back,” Comitis explained.

On potential moves in the January transfer window, Comitis remained non-committal. “I’m not sure because it will depend on Sundowns. We will wait and see. We are happy to have him back if he comes back, and we will work on Jody,” he said. Regarding the reported R60 million valuation for the three players, he added briefly: “It was certainly a decent number.”

With franchise acquisition off the table, Cape Town City have refocused on promotion through the Motsepe Foundation Championship, targeting a top-three finish. Comitis acknowledged a slow start in terms of results but remains confident in the team’s quality. “The team is playing really good football. The coaches have been working to build a solid foundation. We expect to turn things around in the next game and going forward. The next five games will be the turning phase. We have the quality to perform in this league,” he said.

The next five fixtures will be crucial for City as they seek to recover form, retain key talent, and keep promotion ambitions alive. Comitis remains optimistic that a strong run of results can restore their path back to the PSL.