Staff Reporter.
Cape Town City have confirmed the arrival of Venezuelan winger Darwin González as a replacement for Fagrie Lakay, who has left for Egyptian side Pyramids FC.
The 27-year-old González arrives from Deportivo La Guaira, who he left at the end of last month.
He has previously had a spell in Africa with top Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel, where he spent two years before leaving in March last year.
He has 40 goals in 114 starts in his career and will hope to plug what is a big gap in the City squad, a forward who can score on a regular basis.
His arrival follows that of fellow countryman Juan Ortiz at City’s provincial rivals Stellenbosch FC.
Meanwhile Swallows FC Chairman David Mogashoa says that there is no bad blood between his club and defender Thabo Matlaba after parting ways with the former Bafana Bafana international at the weekend.
The 34-year-old defender joined the Dube Birds at the beginning of last season from Black Leopards. ‘Festival’ as Matlaba is affectionally known has been linked with a move to KwaZulu-Natal to join Royal AM where he is expected to team up with his former teammate Ndumiso Mabena.
Mogashoa confirmed that the club has since handed Matlaba his clearance.
“He called me on Saturday. He wanted to leave. We accepted his request,” Mogashoa told Kickoff.com.
“It’s against the club’s policy to stand in the player’s way when he wants to leave. Anyway, his contract was due to expire in June this year and it wouldn’t make sense to try and keep him when he wanted to leave now in January”, he added.
Swallows have also parted ways with Zephaniah Mbokoma. The former Chippa United midfielder is the third player to leave the Dube Birds this year after Vuyo Mere and Thabo Matlaba left the club in January.