Why Masoud Juma could split with Cape Town City

Cape Town City FC have insisted striker Masoud Juma is still their player but admitted his stay could be cut short by the need to shore up the club’s home-grown quota.

The club was responding to Maoud’s claim that he had terminated his contract with the South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) outfit in a shock announcement on social media.

“I have terminated my contract with Cape Town City FC. I’m a free agent!!!” Masoud wrote on Facebook on Friday evening before shortly deleting the post.

Cape Town recently signed Dutch goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh from Ajax Amsterdam, opening up a conundrum for City as he becomes their sixth foreigner, with only five permissible by the PSL.

The club’s Media and Public Relations Officer Julian Bailey said the club is set to make a key decision to free up space for Leeuwenburgh, who signed a three-year deal.

“Juma is our player and is a very important part of the team. We have a home-grown quota to fulfil but at the moment no decision has been reached,” Bailey told Citizen Digital.

Among those that could be axed include defender Edmilson Dove (Mozambique), midfielder Roland Putsche (Austria), forwards Nana Akosah-Bempah (Ghana) and Matthew Rusike (Zimbabwe) as well as Ugandan winger Allan Kateregga.

Former AFC Leopards winger Kateregga or Masoud could be chopped off with the duo – who joined in the mid-season – having played peripheral roles as for the club during the previous campaign when they finished fifth in PSL.

Hampered by injuries, Masoud has failed to hit the heights that saw him earn the move to City at the start of the year having bagged 26 goals across all competitions during the previous year with Kariobangi Sharks.

He was the standout star during the 2017 Kenyan Premier League (KPL) season, winning the golden boot after netting 17 league goals.

The former Sony Sugar player failed trials with PSL side BidVest Wits as well as Swedish clubs AIK Fotball and Jonkopings Sodra and was linked to a move to Egypt before he was snapped up by City in a KSh10 million deal.