Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Ajax Cape Town coach Roger De Sa is confident his side will be ready for the start of the 2016/17 Premiership season.
The Urban Warriors have been hard at work in their preparations for the new season, and following their sixth week of training, De Sa believes his squad is close to being 100 per cent ready for the new season.
"This year, the preparations took place with a reduced squad as a result of the international duties and recent transfers. This has given an opportunity for us to look at the outsiders and it also enables the new signings to fit in," De Sa told the club's official website.
The Ikamva-based outfit have been quite active in making adjustments to their current roster, having promoted seven players from the youth academy in addition to signing four new players.
"It’s a slightly longer pre-season than normal, it is gradually getting tougher, but all the players have come through it very well. We haven’t had as many injuries as last year. The only tough side of it has been the availability of fields and some of the players. By the time the squad returns from George, they will certainly be 100% ready," De Sa added.
De Sa's charges are currently in George for the final phase of their preparations for their opening league encounter against newly-promoted Baroka FC on Tuesday, 23 August.
South Africa U23 international trio of Tahreeq Morris, Rivaldo Coetzee and Jody February have been on duty at the Olympics are are expected to return to training prior to the start of the new campaign.
Meanwhile, De Sa says the club's new signings and promoted youth players have done well, despite it being difficult to replace the likes of Abbubaker Mobara and Riyaad Norodien, who both moved to Pirates in June.
"They’ve obviously brought something to the team, which is what we wanted, but obviously to replace the players that have left, it is always going to be difficult. But I think so far we have done pretty well," De Sa concluded.
