Stellenbosch football club has secured the permanent signing of Ashley Cupido from Cape Town Spurs, in a deal that has seen Mervin Boji move in the opposite direction.

Cupido joins Stellenbosch on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee after spending the last four seasons with Spurs, where he scored 31 goals in 121 appearances across all competitions.

“We are excited to welcome the talented 23-year-old to our ambitious club,” said Stellenbosch FC CEO, Rob Benadie. “He is a player who will fit our system well and who we believe has the ability to consistently feature at the top end of the PSL’s goal-scoring charts.”

Cupido’s arrival in the Cape Winelands coincides with the departure of Kayamandi-born Boji, who has completed a permanent switch to Spurs.

“Mervin is a local hero who we believe will take this opportunity to get more consistent game time and realize his full potential,” Benadie added. “He was instrumental in our reserve team winning two DStv Diski Challenge titles, scoring 31 goals in 30 appearances in the competition, and we have no doubt that he will succeed in this new challenge.”

Cupido comes at the time when Stellenbosch need a striker to fill up the position vacated by striker Iqraam Rayners, who was sold to Sundowns after the African giants triggered his release clause.

The former Spurs striker is the second signing by Stellies on Tuesday following the official announcement of defender Brian Onyango, who was released by Sundowns at the end of last season.