Soccer

Spurs hope cup run helps re-ignites brand

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Shaun Bartlett, head coach of Cape Town Spurs during the 2023 Nedbank Cup press conference for Cape Town based clubs at Nedbank Clock Tower in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 4 February 2023 © Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Cape Town Spurs are hoping the Nedbank Cup gives a boost to their bid to revive their brand after the renaming of the club, said coach Shaun Bartlett.

Spurs have a home tie in the first round against fellow National First Division outfit Baroka FC at the Athlone Stadium on Friday and Bartlett is hoping a good cup run re-establishes Spurs’ name in the marketplace.

Spurs was revived two seasons ago after the end of the Ajax Cape Town franchise’s co-operation with their namesakes in the Netherlands.
Ajax had been relegated in 2018 and struggled since to win back top flight status but now as Spurs they are among the promotion frontrunners.

“Ajax Cape Town is in the past, this is a new brand identity. I played for Spurs back in 1995 when we won the old BoB Save Super Bowl and this is what we are trying to reignite. Ajax cape Town is in the past, that relationship is no longer there. We’ve got to make sure we get this brand back to the top.”

But Bartlett also said winning promotion remained the priority and confirmed he would make changes to his line-up.

“I’ll be resting quite a few key players. The league is our bread and butter. And for us this season, the encouragement and the motivation is obviously to get to the top tier of South African football. But we also want to go as far as possible in the cup. Anything is possible. If we get a good run, you get a good draw, who knows, you might find yourself in the final. And that will not distract us in any way from getting promotion to the PSL,” he added.

“We will make some changes and give opportunity to players that haven’t had much previous opportunity, but I keep on saying is not a weaker team. It’s not a second team. I’ve always as a coach, emphasised that everybody gets the same treatment. Everybody’s got a great opportunity and if the new players do well, they might be in the starting lineup for the league again next weekend,” Bartlett added.

Ajax have won their last eight home games going into the match against Baroka. “It shouldn’t be easy for any team to come to Athlone and win,” insisted the Spurs coach.