Marc Overmars visits Ajax Cape Town

Ajax Amsterdam have rubbished rumours that they are about to end their 17-year association with Ajax Cape Town.

Cape Town - Ajax Amsterdam have rubbished rumours that they are about to end their 17-year association with Ajax Cape Town.

Amsterdam director of football and former Arsenal legend Marc Overmars visited the club this week along with the mother club’s financial director Jeroen Slop to observe training sessions of the various teams and to exchange ideas on how the Cape club can improve.

Ajax Cape Town said in a statement on their website on Thursday that Ajax Amsterdam have “confirmed their commitment to the 17-year partnership with… Ajax Cape Town Football Club. They expressed their disappointment in the rumours surfaced in a Sunday newspaper claiming that they were planning to exit as shareholders of the franchise”.

Overmars said that the mother club could do more to help develop future Amsterdam stars from Cape Town. “We are staying here for three days and I have been at the club every day to see the training sessions. I’m happy with the plans they’ve shown us for the future. I think we at Ajax (Amsterdam) can also do more from our side, bring more to keep things going well,” the former Dutch midfielder said.

“It’s been a very interesting trip. It’s a very busy month for us, because January is transfer month for us, so it says a lot that I came here together with the Financial Director. It’s a very good sign that we come here during such a hectic time for Ajax Amsterdam. We have seen a lot, we know what we have to improve.

“We want to go to the top of Europe again; we need the best players to do so. You can see that there is a lot of talent at the club (Ajax Cape Town), but it is never easy for players to survive. We have to support them all the way. They need assistance and guidance to become professional players. We have seen what we have to deliver to make the situation better.”

Ajax Cape Town chief executive Ari Efstathiou said that they have been in constant contact with the mother club in ensuring that they implement the vision of developing and blooding young players in the senior team.

Some of the mainstays in Roger de Sa’s side are South African Under-23 stars Rivaldo Coetzee, Abbubaker Mobara and Riyaad Norodien, while captain Travis Graham is only 22. Reserve goalkeeper Jody February, who was one of the heroes for SA Under-23 in qualifying for the Rio Olympics, turned just 19 in December.

But after their MTN8 Cup triumph in September last year, when they toppled Kaizer Chiefs in the final, Ajax have battled somewhat in the league, winning just four out of 13 matches to languish in 12th position on the log. They did manage to beat Jomo Cosmos 2-1 last weekend, though, in what De Sa will hope is the turning point in the campaign.

“There’s a youth facility here that is unique in the whole of South Africa. We have a well-structured youth programme in Cape Town and also a lot of youth players making it into the first team here at Ajax Cape Town, so that is something to be proud of,” Ajax Amsterdam financial director Slop said.

“Every club goes through ups and downs, but since Mr (Roger) De Sa has taken over the first team, you can see that he has given a lot of space for the young players. It is a true reflection of Ajax Amsterdam. That is very important to us, bringing up players who are capable of playing in the first team.

“Last season was a very good season for the club. This season we must make up some more points still, but that’s okay. Overall, it’s good results that Mr De Sa brings to the first team. We had constructive meetings, now we have to proceed with how to make the academy better and to get the results we all want, that is to have suitable players who can be at the top of their game.”

De Sa added that he would be going to Amsterdam soon as well. “We’ve exchanged some ideas and facilitated the way forward. It’s great exchanging ideas with football people and obviously fantastic to get advice from Marc, who knows the game very well,” he said.

“The relationship definitely gets stronger every time and we will continue the work we’ve been putting in. We’ll do our best to develop players for Ajax Amsterdam and South African football. I will be visiting Ajax Amsterdam in the very near future, on the invitation of Marc, to bring the newest training methods for our coaches and fresh ideas for the youth academy.”

Ajax Cape Town’s next clash is on Sunday away to Chippa United in East London (3.30pm kickoff, Buffalo City Stadium).

ashfak.mohamed@inl.co.za

@IndyCapeSport