BALANCING THE BOOKS

CAPE TOWN CITY HAVE TO FOREVER SELL PLAYERS TO BREAK EVEN. HERE ARE 11 TOP STARS THEY HAVE ALLOWED TO LEAVE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS

- Nick Said

KERMIT ERASMUS
Age: 33
City starts/goals: 36/17

Erasmus' career was on the skids when he left Portuguese side Vitória Setúbal at the start of the 2018/19 season but he found a happy home in Cape Town.

He was a star player for the club and averaged almost a goal every other start. It was inevitable, then, that bigger sides would look at him, and Mamelodi Sundowns swooped in for his services after two campaigns. Things did not work out there or at Orlando Pirates, and he managed only another 14 goals across all competitions in the next five seasons.

TAARIQ FIELIES
Age: 31
City starts/goals: 160/9

Fielies was a stalwart for City in the heart of defence after joining from the second tier in 2017, signing up for coach Benni McCarthy's first season. His fighting spirit was admired, and he became a regular from the start, despite having no top-flight experience. It was something of a surprise when he was sold to AmaZulu at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

FAGRIE LAKAY
Age: 27
City starts/goals: 62/17

A player whose career was on the slide after several unproductive years when he joined City in 2019, he got things back on track in the Mother City and made the lucrative move to Egyptian side Pyramids FC after two-and-a-half seasons. Coach Eric Tinkler revealed the deal on the table was too good to turn down.

PETER LEEUWENBURGH
Age: 30
City starts/goals: 93/0