DStv Premiership season preview: Can Cape Town City catch Mamelodi Sundowns?

FILE - Cape Town City players celebrate a goal during a DStv Premiership game at home last season. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

FILE - Cape Town City players celebrate a goal during a DStv Premiership game at home last season. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Published Jul 29, 2022

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Cape Town — The new DStv Premiership season is upon us.

The IOL Sport’s team of football writers will take a look at each team, how they’ve done in the transfer market and where we expect them to finish at the end of the season.

Home ground: DHL Stadium

FILE - Cape Town Stadium, the home of DStv Premiership club Cape Town City. Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Head coach: Eric Tinkler

Big name signing: Kajally Drammeh (Gambia), Marc van Heerden, Jordan Bender (US U20 international)

Key players: Hugo Marques, Taariq Fielies, Khanyisa Mayo

Last season: 2nd; W12 D13 L5

Prediction: 2nd

Cape Town City enjoyed their best-ever Dstv Premiership campaign last season after finishing runners-up to champions Mamelodi Sundowns. The Citizens also lost the MTN8 final to Sundowns on penalties, giving them a rightful claim to being the second best side in the country. They will hope to go one better this coming season, but how they manage with the extra pressures of a maiden Caf Champions League campaign will be the definitive factor.

They do boast a squad with plenty of experience, though, with Congolese international Nathan Fasika a dominant presence at the back, along with Cameroonian Brice Ambina in the midfield. Highly-rated young Gambian international Kajally Drammah will also be available this season after being cleared to play after all his documents were not in order during the last January transfer window.

Coach Eric Tinkler is one of the most experienced and tactical astute masterminds in the DStv Premiership and will no doubt be preparing his team for another attempt to break Sundowns’ stranglehold.

@ZaahierAdams

IOL Sport