Highlands Park chairman Brad Kaftel says if a deal is going to be concluded to sell the club to TS Galaxy owner Tim Sukazi it will happen‚ or fall through‚ in the next two weeks.

Kaftel‚ the owner of multiple car dealerships‚ including Highlands’ sponsor‚ Hatfield VW‚ denied a media report that a deal has been concluded in principal with Sukazi because the Galaxy owner and former agent had met Park’s financial requirements.

Kaftel‚ though‚ did add that if a deal is concluded‚ it will be soon‚ given the pressing time requirements necessitated by a short off-season before the beginning of the next Premiership campaign‚ which the PSL has proposed will start in October.

“What I can say is that we are not just owners of Highlands Park‚ we are also passionate Highlands Park supporters‚” Kaftel said.

“But post-Covid we have had to evaluate the state if the economy‚ and the truth is that a football club runs at a loss.

“The reports that we’ve sold is conjecture. What I’m saying is that if there’s going to be a deal‚ or not going to be a deal‚ it’s going to happen soon – in the next week possibly‚ or perhaps the next week‚ after the league is completed.

“The thing is we’ve got to prepare for a new season if there’s no deal. And in this instance there’s not much time.

“This has been going on for four months. We’ve been speaking to Tim since April.

“It’s at a point where it’s got to happen or not‚ because we have to prepare for the next season‚ and the PSL are talking about starting the next season in October‚ and this one ends on September 5. So we’ve got four weeks.

“ ... When it’s a large sum involved‚ and multiple parties involved‚ it’s not like buying into a shop and buying a coke.

“The truth is that if we do a deal with Tim it’s purely a financial thing.”

The current Premier Division season – delayed for five months due to the suspension of football because of Covid-19 – concludes with its final round next Saturday (September 5).

Kaftel and co-owner Larry Brookstone have been behind the revival of Highlands Park – the club sold to Jomo Sono to form Jomo Cosmos in 1983 – in the modern era‚ steering the team back to the top-flight.

They were initially promoted to the Premier Division in 2016-17‚ but relegated the same campaign. The bounced back in 2018-19‚ finishing a solid seventh.

This season coach Owen Da Gama steered Highlands to the MTN8 final‚ losing 1-0 to SuperSport United‚ and Park are currently in eighth place in the league with two matches remaining.

Sukazi – whose GladAfrica Championship team Galaxy are in 12th place in the second-tier with a match to be played – saw a bid to buy Bloemfontein Celtic fail earlier this year.

Sukazi could not be reached for comment.