Ajax Cape Town have closed ranks on the mysterious axing of key defender Rivaldo Coetzee for the club’s 1-0 victory over Chippa United on Wednesday‚ saying only that he had been dropped for “disciplinary reasons”.
Coach Stanley Menzo‚ who looked annoyed when speaking on the subject‚ would say only that the 20-year-old Bafana Bafana star was not injured‚ but had fallen foul of his strict rules for the squad.
He would not be drawn on the exact reasons‚ or give an indication of what further measures might be taken by the club.
TMG Sport approached club CEO Ari Efstathiou for comment‚ but he was equally secretive: “It was for disciplinary reasons‚ full stop. That is all I will say.”
Efstathiou did confirm that the axing was the decision of Menzo and not club management‚ who nevertheless backed the coach.
“He is a very strict disciplinarian and that’s good‚ it’s what these young boys need.”
Coetzee has been linked with a move to Europe in the next transfer window‚ with teams in England and France said to be monitoring his situation.
He is also the subject of constant enquiries from Gauteng-based teams in the Premier Soccer League‚ but Efstathiou has said on numerous occasions that Ajax will only sell him to Europe and will not consider offers from local sides.
Ajax’s victory over Chippa took them into the top eight after an excellent run of form that has seen them win five of their last six games to lift off the bottom of the table.
– TMG Sport
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