CAPE TOWN - Ajax Cape Town are hoping that SA Under-20 starlet Grant Margeman can restore a measure of confidence in a squad sadly lacking in self-belief. Since the re-start of the PSL season this year, things have fallen apart for the Capetonians, who are yet to win a game in 2017.
Now, with Ajax taking on Free State Stars in a must-win PSL fixture at the Athlone Stadium on Friday (kickoff 8pm), coach Stanley Menzo wants to inject the brashness of youth into the squad.
Margeman, the 18-year-old from Bonteheuwel, recently returned from international duty with the SA U20 squad at the African Youth Championships in Zambia. They finished fourth at the event, but it was enough to qualify the country for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in South Korea later this year.
It was, in fact, Margeman who played a pivotal role in the SA U20s’ qualification. After a win and a loss in the group stages, and with the team then needing to defeat Sudan to ensure World Cup qualification, the score was deadlocked at 1-1. And it was Ajax’s Margeman who popped up with the goal to make it 2-1 for the SA U20s, and they eventually cruised to a comfortable 3-1 victory in that defining match.
“Having Grant back gives us another option in midfield,” said Menzo. “He brings energy and confidence into the team. He gives us something different, and I believe that he has something special.
“Grant is still young and we have to monitor him to ensure that we don’t overplay him. We have to make sure that we manage him properly. We have to keep him fresh, both mentally and physically.”
Menzo’s words are an indication of how important the teenager is to Ajax - and on Friday night, when he returns to the squad, the youngster has an opportunity to demonstrate just how influential he is to the team’s success.
The other local club, Cape Town City, are set to take on Bloemfontein Celtic at the Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon (kickoff 6pm).