Cape Town City running out of matches to save season – admits Diogo Peral

Photo Credit - Cape Town City FC.

Cape Town City interim coach Diogo Peral has sent a signal warning that his side must start to win matches if they are to keep their status in the Betway Premiership for next season.

Following the sacking of Muhsin Ertugral, the Cape Town-based outfit appointed Peral alongside Roger de Sa and Lebo Manyama to take charge for the remainder of the campaign. However, their performances have not be convincing enough, with their last league fixture ending in a 0-0 draw against SuperSport United.

"You look at your teams – if you've got problems at the back or you've got problems at the front, you work things out, but this season's been bad for us at both ends," said Peral as quoted by SABC Sports.

"We've conceded way too many goals and we haven't scored enough – we get the entries, we get into the final third, but we haven't been clinical enough, so it's a number of things.

"I've been with the group since the beginning of Cape Town City, so I know what's [happening], and that's why they chose this time to just stick with someone that's been here. Because, instead of spending a lot of time finding out what these players are about and what we can get out of them, at least we've got someone that's been working with them for a long time.

So I haven't [had to] learn too much about the group, I know what I've got, I know what they're capable of, so I'd like to see their full potential sometime this season.”

He concluded: "We're running out of games, I know, but we went to a pre-season with a [good] squad and we came back thinking that we were going to do well this season – we looked at the squad and thought this is a squad that we can compete with, now we're sitting where we are.”

Cape Town are currently sitting two places from the bottom of the 16-team league table with 24 points from 24 matches.

They will host Sekhukhune United at Cape Town Stadium on Sunday.