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 National First 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]
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| Full name | Cape Town Spurs Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Urban Warriors | |
| Founded | 11 January 1970 | |
| Ground | Athlone Stadium (most games), Parow Park[1] | |
| Capacity | 34,000, 2,000 | |
| Chairman | Ari Efstathiou | |
| Manager | Ernst Middendorp | |
| League | National First Division | |
| 2023–24 | Premiership, 16th of 16 (relegated) | |
| Website | capetownspurs.co.za | |
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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 Premiership 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
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2011) |
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.[10]
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.[11]
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.[12][13]
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.[14]
Honours
National titles
- National Soccer League
- Winners: 1995
Cup competitions
- MTN 8 (Top 8 Tournament)
- Winners: 20151
- Telkom Knockout (League Cup)
- Winners: 20001, 20081
- Nedbank Cup
- Winners: 1995, 20071
Pre-season
- Mangaung Cup
- Winners: 20071, 20081
1. Trophies won as Ajax Cape Town F.C. from 11 January 1999 to 28 September 2020.
Performance in CAF competitions
Continental appearances
- CAF Champions League: 2 appearances
- CAF Confederation Cup: 1 appearance
- 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
- Most starts:
Brett Evans 311 - Most goals: Nathan Paulse 56
- Most capped player:
Edelbert Dinha - Most starts in a season: Edelbert Dinha 41 (2000–01)
- Most goals in a season: Mabhuti Khenyeza 23 (2008–09)
- Record Victory: 5–1 vs Moroka Swallows (19 February 2006, PSL); vs
Mount Cameroon (26 April 2008, CAF Confederation Cup) - Record defeat: 0–6 v Orlando Pirates (22 September 2004, PSL); vs Golden Arrows (24 October 2009, MTN 8)
League record
South African Premiership
- 1996–97 – 8th
- 1997–98 – 4th
- 1998–99 – 13th
- 1999–00 – 4th (as Ajax Cape Town)
- 2000–01 – 11th
- 2001–02 – 14th
- 2002–03 – 13th
- 2003–04 – 2nd
- 2004–05 – 6th
- 2005–06 – 11th
- 2006–07 – 4th
- 2007–08 – 2nd
- 2008–09 – 7th
- 2009–10 – 7th
- 2010–11 – 2nd
- 2011–12 – 9th
- 2012–13 – 14th
- 2013–14 – 12th
- 2014–15 – 5th
- 2015–16 – 10th
- 2016–17 – 10th
- 2017–18 – 16th
National First Division
South African Premiership
- 2023–24 – 16th (relegated)
Players
- As of 1 August 2024[15]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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On loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Retired numbers
- 21 – Cecil Lolo (Defender, 2009–15). Number retired on 30 October 2015 at Lolo's memorial service.[16]
Notable former players
Managers
Leo van Veen (1999–00)[17]- Henk Bodewes (2000)[18]
- Steve Haupt (interim) (2000–01)[19]
Rob McDonald (2001–02)[20]- Gordon Igesund (2002–06)[21]
Muhsin Ertuğral (2006–07)[22]- Craig Rosslee (2007–09)[23]
- Muhsin Ertuğral and Jan Pruijn (interim) (2009)[24][25]
- Foppe De Haan (2009–11)[26]
- Maarten Stekelenburg (2011–12)[27]
- Wilfred Mugeyi and Jan Pruijn (interim) (2012)[28][29]
- Jan Versleijen and Muhsin Ertuğral (int.) (2013)[30]
- Muhsin Ertuğral (2013–14)[31]
- Ian Taylor (interim) (2014)[32]
- Roger De Sá (2014–2016)[33]
- Stanley Menzo (2016–2017)
- Muhsin Ertuğral (2017–2018)
- Andries Ulderink (2018–20)[34]
Vladislav Herić (2020–2021)- Shaun Bartlett (2021–2023)[35]
Ernst Middendorp (2023–present)[36]
References
External links
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