Peral sees improvement in City squad this season

Cape Town City assistant coach Diogo Peral says the signs are there that they are getting better ahead of their Betway Premiership opener against Royal AM at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Saturday, September 14.

Kick-off is at 3pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

CURRENT FORM:

The Citizens featured in the 2024 MTN 8 where they overcame Sekhukhune United in the quarterfinals before bowing out to defending champions Orlando Pirates at the penultimate stage a fortnight ago.

Erik Tinkler's side claimed a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the Cape Town Stadium, but they started poorly in the second leg and conceded two goals before half-time which led to their exit from the cup competition.

However, Peral saw positives from their opening three competitive matches in 2024-25 to give him and Tinkler hope that City will challenge for silverware this season.

The Mother City outfit dashed Mamelodi Sundowns' bid to go through an entire league campaign undefeated after clinching a narrow 1-0 in Pretoria on the final day.

Thwihli Thwahla dodged a relegation bullet last term after finishing three points clear of Richards Bay, who had to navigate the playoffs to retain their top-flight status.

John Maduka's side beat Moroka Swallows 2-1 in their final match to finish in 13th place, arresting a seven-game winless run in the process.

Maduka found the going tough in 2023-24 due to a Fifa transfer ban and he's been forced to promote from within after being prevented from making any signings during the off-season transfer window.

WHAT WAS SAID:

Cape Town City assistant coach Diogo Peral

"The game (against Pirates) doesn't change anything. We feel that we are getting better. You see if the team is getting better or not through training and hours that you spend on the field, not just in a 90-minute game.

"It is better than what we had in the past. We brought in some experienced players who have been good in our team.

"It was a disappointing game, but we've seen a lot of good signs. We are also a young team and a new team. We need to learn what the partnerships are, how we play together.

"We see signs at training, and we see what can happen with this team. We need to give them time and get to where we know we can get to.

"We've seen a sign in the friendly matches, even during the first game against Sekhukhune we saw how we found a way of winning. Even if you go back to our game against Pirates in the first leg there were good signs."

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Royal AM - Sabelo Sithole enjoyed a promising first season in the Betway Premiership after being promoted to the first team in August 2023 and the youngster will be expected to feature more regularly for Maduka's side in 2024-25. The 22-year-old left-back, who can also play in an advanced role down the flank, contributed two goals and one assist in 16 appearances and opened his account against City on March 10.

Cape Town City - Fortune Makaringe will be keen to revive his career in Cape Town after being let go by Orlando Pirates at the end of last season. The 31-year-old midfielder only made 14 appearances in all competitions for the Buccaneers in 2023-24, but brings with him valuable experience, having also played in the Caf Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: (Previous five league meetings)

Matches - 5

Royal AM wins - 1

CT City wins - 3

Draws - 1