Cape Town City boss backs new signings to stroll into PSL level

Cape Town City chairman John Comitis believes two of the club’s latest foreign signings are of such quality that they could handle Betway Premiership football “with their eyes closed”, as the Citizens target an immediate Motsepe Foundation Championship title push in the 2026-27 season.

Comitis has made clear that promotion is non-negotiable for City, insisting that a swift return to what he describes as the club’s “rightful place” in South Africa’s top tier is the central objective for the coming campaign.

At the heart of that ambition are Dutch attacking midfielder Rai Vloet and Bolivia international defender Marcelo Suarez, whom Comitis expects to be among the standout players in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Foreign duo tipped to ‘surprise a lot of people’

Speaking exclusively to KickOff, Comitis said the quality of the two new overseas arrivals has not yet been fully appreciated outside the club.

“There’s others that people don’t know yet. There’s two foreigners, and those are serious players,” he explained.

“They can play in the PSL with their eyes closed.

“The one was at PSV Eindhoven as a starting line-up player, and the other one plays for the national team of Bolivia. Two-three months ago, he was playing against Lionel Messi and Argentina.

“The Bolivian, Marcelo Suarez, is a left-footed centre-back. The other is Rai Vloet, he is Dutch.”

Vloet, who came through the ranks in the Netherlands and previously featured for PSV Eindhoven, is expected to offer attacking creativity and experience in advanced areas.

Suarez, a left-footed centre-back who has represented Bolivia at senior international level, arrives with recent exposure to top-level international opposition, having faced Lionel Messi and Argentina in a World Cup qualifying context just months ago.

Comitis is confident that this blend of European club pedigree and South American international experience will elevate City’s performances and give them a decisive edge in their promotion push.

Monare adds top-flight experience

Alongside the two foreign arrivals, Cape Town City have also moved to strengthen their domestic core by signing experienced midfielder Thabang Monare, formerly of Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United.

Monare brings extensive Betway Premiership know-how and has been recruited to provide stability and leadership in central midfield as City attempt to negotiate the demands of a long Motsepe Foundation Championship campaign.

Promotion setback fuels drive

City had appeared well placed for an immediate return to the Betway Premiership this past season but missed out in agonising fashion during the promotion play-offs.

Milford FC ultimately claimed the available top-flight spot instead, leaving Comitis and his club to regroup and plan for another year outside the elite division.

That setback has sharpened City’s determination to dominate the 2026-27 Motsepe Foundation Championship season, with Comitis framing the campaign as a decisive opportunity to restore the club’s status among South Africa’s leading sides.

With Suarez and Vloet arriving to anchor key areas of the pitch, and Monare adding proven Premiership experience, Cape Town City are reshaping their squad around players their chairman is convinced are capable of operating at a significantly higher level than the division they are about to contest.