Cape Town City FC interim coach Diogo Peral says he had no problem working with midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo despite the player’s surprise departure from the club.
Mokotjo recently bid farewell to the Betway Premiership club with a few games to play this season. The former Bafana Bafana midfielder joined the club after a stint with Sekhukhune United.
In an official announcement on his Instagram page, the 34-year-old said he didn’t expect to be saying goodbye so soon to the club.
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“I don’t know if I am the right person to be commenting on what happened with Mokotjo. I think that was part of planning for next season already,” Peral told Journalists.
“For me, I didn’t have a problem with Mokotjo; it was a pleasure to work with him, a gentleman and a good player. So I can only tell you from my point of view. I had no problem with him.”
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Peral has also acknowledged that the club was going through a difficult period but believes they have what it takes to retain their status through the playoffs if they finish in 15th position.
The Citizens, currently 14th in the league, face potential relegation to the playoff spot. Their fate hinges on 15th-placed SuperSport’s final game; a win or a draw for Matsatsantsa would drop CT City into the playoff position.
“What you did see is that we have been through difficult times before. Nothing is ever compared to this, but we have been through difficult times,” he added “When we lost games at home in previous seasons, it was always us playing good football, but maybe we were unlucky.
“I thought this season there were some performances where we let ourselves down. So it is what it is. There is nothing we can do now. We have to forget about what is going on.
“We have to get into the playoffs and play. I think we play enough good football to get through these playoffs. That’s what is important now. After the season is finished, we will definitely go back and look at where we have gone wrong.
“That’s already happening behind the scenes. But that doesn’t help us now. Do I think there are good enough players in the change room to get us through the playoffs? Absolutely. I do think so, yes.”
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