Mkhize Set To Stay With Cape Town City
Veteran defender Thamsanqa Mkhize is set to extend his stay with Cape Town City for another season, as his current deal expires at the end of June.
Mkhize signed a two-year extension with Cape Town City in February 2022. He joined the club after the 2016/17 season had already begun.
He arrived at City after leaving Orlando Pirates without playing a single match in that season. Mkhize reportedly clashed with Muhsin Ertugral during his time with Golden Arrows which led the move to fall through with the Soweto giants.
Prior to joining Pirates, Mkhize had just helped Maritzburg United escape relegation under coach Ernst Middendorp in the 2015/16 season. He is fondly remembered for scoring a spectacular free kick in the second-to-last game of that season at Harry Gwala Stadium. His curling effort beat the wall and found the net, energizing Maritzburg for their final match, where they secured their top-flight status with a 3-1 victory over Jomo Cosmos in Potchefstroom.
Following the unsuccessful move to Pirates, Mkhize signed with City under current coach Eric Tinkler after the 2016/17 season had started.
He played a crucial role in City’s victory over SuperSport United in the Telkom Knockout final at Peter Mokaba Stadium. Mkhize made a key save to deny a goal-bound shot, paving the way for Judas Moseamedi’s winning goal later in the match.
Remarkably, Mkhize is the only remaining player from the starting lineup of that game still at the club. While Thabo Nodada holds the record for the longest-serving player at City, he began that match on the bench.
This Telkom Knockout victory marked City’s first trophy just 144 days after John Comitis acquired the status of Mpumalanga Black Aces.
Mkhize went on to add another trophy, the MTN8, under coach Benni McCarthy in the 2018/19 season. City defeated SuperSport United in the final held in Durban.
He was appointed captain ahead of the 2018/19 season following Robyn Johannes’ departure to Bidvest Wits. Mkhize’s impressive performances earned him a national team call-up by Shakes Mashaba for Bafana Bafana. He made his debut against Burkina Faso in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier at FNB Stadium in October 2017.
Mkhize was part of the Bafana Bafana squad that knocked Egypt out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the round of 16 in 2019. Their journey ended in the quarter-finals with a defeat to Nigeria.
The former Arrows defender is City’s most capped player, having appeared in a total of 244 matches across all competitions. He has also contributed six goals during his time with the club.