Ajax Cape Town

[Kowalczyk]

An special thread for Ajax Orlando? Then we also need a special thread for the third Ajax from Cape Town!

Unfortunately this thread starts with some pretty bad news.

Goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs (who was on a try-out in Amsterdam last year) had a positive doping test a while ago: he had used Salbutanol, a medicine for asthma which is on the international list of forbidden substances for athletes. Today he was suspended for no less than six months.

The sentence seems to be a bit harsh: Josephs has asthma and has a special certificate which allows him to use Salbutanol. But Ajax Cape Town failed to submit the certificate to the South African F.A. at the beginning of each new season. Strangely enough, there was no problem with the certificate when Josephs played for the national team.

It seems very harsh actually, but this is almost certainly going to cost him both the Africa Cup and most of the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup (and possibly the tourney itself).

Read the story on News24.com:
http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Socc ... 34,00.html

K.

[AsgAarD_xxx]

I have a question- what are the rules of our co-operation with Ajax Cape Town? I mean: can Ajax CT players join Ajax for free? Do you know anything about it?

[Kowalczyk]

Voetbal International magazine reports that it is almost 'D-Day': a very heavy Ajax Amsterdam delegation (the entire board of directors of Fontein, Slop and Van Geel) will visit Cape Town this week, in order to analyze and evaluate the partnership.

Since the South-African 'sister club' has brought us only one first team player over the years (Steven Pienaar) I think there's a fair chance that Ajax will call it quits. On the other hand: I have heard that Ajax Cape Town does not cost Ajax a lot of money these days. The initial investment was large, of course, but the annual cost is not too high, reportedly.

We'll see what happens.

K.

[SPL]

We seem to concentrate on young Dutch at present.It does seem a bit pointless keeping our ties with Cape Town when we have had only one player from them.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Plus they suck. Orlando Pirates are better

[DrDuncan]

I agree. Only 3 Ajax CT players in all the African Nations Cup squads. South Africa's reserve goalkeeper, who didn't get a game (so can't be much good as the first choice was bad enough). And a couple from DR Congo (I think); I saw one of them play, and he was nothing special.

[Kowalczyk]

Voetbal International magazine reports that it is almost 'D-Day': a very heavy Ajax Amsterdam delegation (the entire board of directors of Fontein, Slop and Van Geel) will visit Cape Town this week, in order to analyze and evaluate the partnership.

Two reports on the official Ajax Cape Town website:

http://www.ajaxct.com/News/Ajax_News/story_11365.shtml

http://www.ajaxct.com/News/Ajax_News/story_11377.shtml
(the second one is about the two Ajax CT players who were on trial at Young Ajax in recent weeks)

Martin van Geel just returned from South Africa and he is very positive about Ajax Cape Town. He was quite sceptical when he left and made a few remarks about the lack of result the partnership yielded so far, but the club apparently made quite an impression on him. See the quote on the Ajax USA homepage.

By the way: check the pictures on AjaxCT.com: they play in Puma jerseys, not Adidas! Would be nice to have one of those...

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Ajax's general director, Maarten Fontein, is quoted in today's Algemeen Dagblad saying that Ajax are planning the construction of a new stadium for Ajax Cape Town. The club will move to a poor area of the city, where football is a major thing to the locals. Ajax Cape Town are currently in a rich district of Cape Town, where the people are hardly interested in football, but more in cricket and rugby. Ajax are also thinking about sponsoring a school in the township.

Ummm... Is it just me or is this a little bit odd? These plans are nice and very 'social', but the board just told HTC that there is no budget for a 'Cocu-type midfielder' unless players are sold during the winter break. No money for direct first team reinforcements, but apparently there's enough cash for a new stadium for Ajax Cape Town...?



K.

[ZoefdeHaas]

I don't know how big this "new stadium" will be, but it might be linked with the World Cup, so lots of investment and sponsors I suppose.

[Kowalczyk]

There was a wonderful documentary on Ajax's visit to South-Africa on Dutch television yesterday evening, entitled Ajax: Mission Cape Town. The whole program is available for free on the www.uitzendinggemist.nl website (which means something like www.missed-a-program.nl).

Click HERE and then click the red little thingy, right bottom of the page, below the word 'bekijk' (= 'view').

The whole thing is in Dutch, obviously, so the longer interviews won't make any sense to most of you, but I think it's a nice little documentary anyway: beautiful footage of South Africa and some of the day trips the squad made (safari, Robben Island, helicopter trip of Hans Vonk and Urby Emanuelson) and footage from training sessions and the Ajax Cape Town friendly, including the goals.

If you understand a little bit of Dutch... truly hilarious how Stam and Huntelaar take the piss out of each other in their hotel room. Very funny.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Good news from South Africa...

Ajax Cape Town (coached by former Ajax star Ruud Krol, these days) won the South African cup and they're also the joint league leaders in the league.

That's good news. Ajax Cape Town are becoming a major force in South Africa - and that means a bigger chance that the club will yield a player or two for the 'mothership'.

K.

[aveslacker]

Good news from South Africa...

Ajax Cape Town (coached by former Ajax star Ruud Krol, these days) won the South African cup and they're also the joint league leaders in the league.

That's good news. Ajax Cape Town are becoming a major force in South Africa - and that means a bigger chance that the club will yield a player or two for the 'mothership'.

K.

Didn't we get Enoh from Cape Town?

[SE6Ajacied]

Good news from South Africa...

Ajax Cape Town (coached by former Ajax star Ruud Krol, these days) won the South African cup and they're also the joint league leaders in the league.

That's good news. Ajax Cape Town are becoming a major force in South Africa - and that means a bigger chance that the club will yield a player or two for the 'mothership'.

K.

Didn't we get Enoh from Cape Town?

Yep, and that's why the Setanta commentators still think he's South African

[Cedric]

Ajax Cape Town (coached by former Ajax star Ruud Krol, these days)

He's the coach of Orlando Pirates actually.
But I guess it would have made more sense otherwise.

[SE6Ajacied]

Not an ex Ajax player of course but this is interesting. Assuming he signs for them will Postma be the first Dutch player to play for Ajax Cape Town?

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6 ... 373C788296

[Khraa]

Marciano Vink also played for ACT didn't he?

[SE6Ajacied]

Marciano Vink also played for ACT didn't he?

OK, yes, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marciano_Vink he did, and he's an ex Ajax player which rather deflates the point I was making.

I suppose for the point I was making Hans Vonk sort of counts as well, even though he's South African of course, he began and played almost all of his career in the Eredivisie, before going to CT and then returning to Holland.

[DrDuncan]

3-0 win over Orlando Pirates takes Ajax CT to the top of the table, with 5 games to play.

[Jinne]

Marciano Vink also played for ACT didn't he?

OK, yes, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marciano_Vink he did, and he's an ex Ajax player which rather deflates the point I was making.

I suppose for the point I was making Hans Vonk sort of counts as well, even though he's South African of course, he began and played almost all of his career in the Eredivisie, before going to CT and then returning to Holland.

Geert Brusselers also played for them.

I wonder what the translation is for dildo in Afrikaans btw regarding Postma.

[SE6Ajacied]

I wonder what the translation is for dildo in Afrikaans btw regarding Postma.

OK - My Dutch is much better than it was but this one has still passed me by = please tell as I'm convinced it'll be useful one day

[Rooie]

Ajax CT

Ajax appoints new Head Coach

Ajax Cape Town is proud to announce that Maarten Stekelenburg has been appointed as their new Head Coach.

George Comitis the Ajax Cape Town CEO said, “It was always going to be challenging to fill the shoes of Foppe De Haan. We deliberated at length on this decision, on whether to get another experienced coach or whether we should be viewing this in a different light.

Our philosophy has always been based on Youth Development and over the past 11 years we have failed with the longevity of a coach. We believe that we have now found the right man that suites our vision and can build on the foundation laid by Foppe De Haan.

Maarten Stekelenburg is a young energetic and ambitious coach. He has been coaching since the age of 16 and joined Ajax Amsterdam in 1999. He spent 10 years in the youth structures at Ajax Amsterdam eventually coaching “Jong Ajax”, before coming to South Africa for the last 2½ years as Head of Youth Development.

He is our first “true Ajax coach” with an imbedded philosophy of youth development, total football and individual coaching methods.

In his 2½ years in Cape Town, Maarten has learned about the diverse cultures of our players and their backgrounds. He has worked with Foppe and the PSL team for a month in January, and spent endless hours picking Foppe’s brain on a daily basis over the last 18 months.

Maarten has earned the respect of the PSL players, with his character and man management skills he will assist them to develop further.

We, the Ajax Cape Town management believe that we have found the right man for the job and he has the full support of all the stakeholders of Ajax Cape Town.

We, not only have the infrastructure to develop players, but also to develop coaches. It is becoming a world trend to see young, upcoming coaches becoming Head Coaches of “Big Teams” and winning trophies accordingly.”

[aveslacker]

Is there some other Stekelenburg?

[Amol]

Yeah - he's been coaching the youth teams at Ajax for a while.

[aveslacker]

Yeah - he's been coaching the youth teams at Ajax for a while.

[Blind3]

I hear that Stekelenberg is as common in Amsterdam as Smith or Jones in America.