Shaun Bartlett makes huge claim on Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates target
Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are targeting a talented striker, and Bafana Bafana legend Shaun Bartlett has made a huge claim about him.
in Premier Soccer League
Ex-Bafana Bafana striker Shaun Bartlett has opened up on the attributes that could make striker Ashley Cupido attractive to suitors Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
SHAUN BARTLETT ENCOURAGES KAIZER CHIEFS AND ORLANDO PIRATES TO SIGN NFD STRIKER
21-year-old Ashley Cupido is leading the charge for Cape Town Spurs in the National First Division, and is the division’s top scorer. Soweto giants Chiefs and Pirates have both reportedly expressed an interest in his services, according to Goal. The player’s agent Paul Mitchell has, however, previously mentioned Cupido is set for a switch to Europe.
Cupido’s coach at Spurs, Shaun Bartlett, has outlined the quality of his young attacker. He believes Cupido will hit the 20-goal mark this season with four games remaining in the campaign, and these claims alone will have staff at Mayfair and Naturena on red alert.
BARTLETT ON CUPIDO
“He is a boy that’s got a great eye for goals; he scored 14 of those goals from a wing position,” said Bartlett as per FARPost.
“It’s not easy because he is not a striker. But a lot of the goals coming from the wide coming in, taking shots and things like that. So he just needs to keep his feet grounded.
“As a team, we work hard and create opportunities, and he is there to finish them off. I am pretty sure he can get to 20 goals come the end of the season.”
They’ll be watching Ashley Cupido closely as the NFD’s top scorer hopes to end the season with a flourish. Who knows, maybe he can even reach the target of 20 goals set by Bafana Bafana legend Bartlett? Six goals in four games is a tall order.
Ashley Cupido has scored an impressive 13 goals in 18 appearances for Cape Town Spurs in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
That makes him the top goal scorer in the second tier of South African football.
Cupido is only 21-years-old, and finds the back the net with regularity in a tough league like the second-tier, that says a lot about his quality.
Siyavuma Sports Group, an agency that represents the player’s interests, have made it clear that their objective is to take the player overseas, where there is already interest in him.
“Ashley has great qualities; he’s a real handful with a desire and work rate, that you don’t often see, an ability to score goals, physically good, and a great professional. He is learning daily from his coach and technical team who have a wealth of experience between them,” Paul Mitchell, a representative from SSG, an agency that looks after Cupido’s interests told iDiski Times on Wednesday.
“There will always be interest in a player of Ashley’s quality, a goal scorer, his concentration now is only Spurs, promotion [to the DStv Premiership] and the U23’s,” he added.
“We will sit down at the end of the season, but our goal is to take Ashley overseas if possible and there is some interest, but for now as I say Spurs and promotion take first preference.”
While iDiski Times did mention that the big three are reportedly interested in the national under-23 international, there is one team that cannot afford to let Cupido slip through their fingers should an overseas move not materialize.
That team is Kaizer Chiefs.
