Ajax Cape Town academy to 'go to a new level'‚ says CEO Efstathiou

Ajax Cape Town will make an announcement on an upgrade to their academy in January‚ CEO Ari Efstathiou has said‚ noting that the club’s normal procession of promoted young players of the past few seasons have struggled to make an impact.

Efstathiou said the upgrade has been overseen by ex-Ajax head coach Foppe de Haan and former club goalkeeper Hans Vonk.

De Haan‚ the legendary Dutch coach who steered Ajax to second place in Absa Premiership in 2010-11‚ and Bafana Bafana’s 1998 World Cup goalkeeper Vonk were announced as returning to the club to lead the development in April.

It is the nature of Ajax that they produce crops of talent from their academy‚ have periods of success with them‚ then sell the players on.

In the past two years Shane Saralina‚ Grant Margeman‚ Mogamat May‚ Masilake Phohlongo‚ Darren Johnson and Sirgio Kammies have been given first team contracts.

Ajax fought relegation last season and seem destined to again this campaign‚ where they are in second-last place after 12 games.

Efstathiou said perhaps some of the promoted youngsters had not come through as well as expected.

“I think there is that‚ but‚ again‚ when you’re in the situation that you are what do you do? Sirgio Kammies made his PSL debut against Wits [in a 0-0 draw at Bidvest Stadium on Wednesday night]. I think he did pretty well‚” the Ajax CEO said.

“Sometimes a coach has got to be brave to do it‚ but how brave can you be when your job’s on the line and you need results?

“But to be honest the ones who we’ve promoted haven’t come through like they usually do. So we’ve had a bit of a gap.

“So where we usually don’t spend any money‚ it’s dried up for a year or two. But it will come back.

“Hans and Foppe are doing a great job now restructuring‚ and we’re announcing some news in early January about enhancing the academy. We’re going to put it to a different level.

“So we’re sticking to what we believe. But I think at this point in time we’re going to just have to get some reinforcements.”

Efstathiou said Ajax’s tough start and an overall sense that their squad needs more quality will see the club make signings in the January transfer window.

“Let’s be honest‚ when you’re sitting struggling to score you need to strengthen. So to sit here and say we’re strong enough and we don’t have to strengthen would be foolish‚” he said.

“So we definitely will be strengthening in January – probably three or four players.”

Ajax remain in Johannesburg for Saturday night’s home game played away from home – also at Bidvest‚ due to a lack of availability of stadiums in Cape Town this weekend – against second-placed Chippa United.