Cape Town City midfielder Thato Mokeke has told FARPost that there is a collective desire at the club to secure a Caf Champions League spot in their remaining last two league matches.
The 31-year-old footballer reckons that now more than ever his teammates are hungry for a Champions League finish. The Citizens endured a difficult start to the season but turned things around at the start of this year. They are yet to lose a game in 2022 and a second-place finish is a huge possibility, depending on how Royal AM fare in their games.
Eric Tinker’s men certainly look more potent than they did at the start of the season despite letting go of key players, including Surprise Ralani, Abbubakar Mobara, Fragrie Lakay, Edwin Dove and Shane Roberts, who is at TS Galaxy on loan.
One can say that Tinker has installed a far clearer philosophy at the Cape club and their recent in-form suggests their long-standing weaknesses against top opposition finally appear to have been eradicated.
Mokeke told this publication that his side is in high spirits, and this could be their chance of getting the centre stage to showcase their God-given talents in the African continent and beyond.
“The guys are very confident that we can qualify for Champions League. Like now, it’s becoming an everyday talk because it will be a big achievement for some of us and also for the team, and financially it will be good for the club,” said Mokeke.
“In these last two games, we need to make sure that we get positive results to cement our chances of qualifying.
“It will also come in handy in terms of the experience as we will play out of our comfort zone. And the experience will, in turn, help the team to prosper in our domestic league.”
The Citizens are currently second on the DStv Premiership table with 48 points from 28 outings, three points ahead of the third-placed Royal AM, who have a game in hand.
City will face AmaZulu, who haven’t lost a game under the tutelage of Brandon Truter on Saturday, 14 May at home with the kick-off set for 15:00.
After that, the Citizens will play their last game of the season against arch-rivals Stellenbosch in the Cape Town Derby.
