Cape Town Spurs CEO Alexi Efstathiou has expressed a desire to still meet with Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman, saying their transfer to Kaizer Chiefs was like a “son leaving home without saying goodbye”.
Chiefs officially came out on top in the transfer saga involving Asanele Velebayi [22] and Luke Baartman [19], and this time, CT Spurs boss Efstathiou has shared a more personal message to the two players who grew up under his watch.
The long-running case came to a close last week when SAFA arbitrator Hilton Epstein ruled that both players are free agents, ending months of legal drama and emotional pressure. The ruling confirmed the earlier PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber [DRC] decision, which CT Spurs had appealed unsuccessfully after their relegation to the SAFA ABC Motsepe League cost them their professional status.
For Efstathiou, who has seen both players grow from aspiring kids into professionals, the loss was more personal than legal.
WHAT EFSTATHIOU SAID ABOUT VELEBAYI & BAARTMAN
“I would like to still meet them at some point and share my thoughts,” he told FARPost. “They know I always had time for them. We’ve always had good relationships with our players. Sometimes, it’s like father and son.
“It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth when your son leaves home without saying goodbye.”
The duo, raised in the Cape flats of Philippi [Velebayi] and Elsies River [Baartman], joined Spurs at the age of 12, coming through the youth ranks before catching the attention of Amakhosi.
Their move to Naturena wasn’t smooth, with Spurs fighting to keep them, but the recent ruling now clears the way for their official registration and long-awaited debuts.
Both players could feature for Chiefs this weekend when Amakhosi travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo to face AS Simba in the CAF Confederation Cup second-round preliminary qualifier on Saturday at 15:00. The return leg will be played at Dobsonville Stadium on October 25.
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