Cape Town - It has been a stuttering start to the season for Ajax Cape Town and it doesn’t get any easier for the Parow-based club when the PSL swings back into action this weekend.
Four games into the campaign, Ajax are yet to register their first win. And now, on Saturday, they head to Durban for a daunting test against log leaders Kaizer Chiefs at the Moses Mabhida Stadium (kickoff 6pm).
The other local side, Cape Town City, are also in action on Saturday, when they host PSL rookies Baroka FC at the Cape Town Stadium (kickoff 8.15pm).
For Ajax, though, despite Chiefs’ popularity and lofty status, perhaps this is just the type of game they need to spark the team’s revival. Over the years, Ajax have always reserved some of their best performances for fixtures against the Soweto club. So, as the Urban Warriors look to get back on track, as they strive to get their first win under the belt, this is the ideal stage - coach Roger de Sa certainly won’t have to motivate his players.
It’s not that Ajax have been performing poorly. They have, in fact, played some good football in patches - they just haven’t been able to finish their numerous scoring opportunities. It’s a problem that has bedevilled the Cape team for a number of years and, if they are to turn things around, then it’s in the final third where they will have to be more clinical and decisive. Ball possession and territorial dominance count for nothing - Ajax have to learn to kill off the opposition when they are in the ascendancy.
But, as football would have it, for Ajax to score goals and defeat Chiefs on Saturday, they have to get past in-form Amakhosi goalkeeper, Itumeleng Khune.
Khune had a blinder when Bafana Bafana played to a 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso in Ouagadougou - and, no doubt, the 29-year-old shot-stopper will be keen to reproduce that level of form against Ajax on Saturday.
Chiefs are on a bit of a roll at the moment. They’ve reeled off three successive wins, which rocketed them to the top of the PSL standings. This is in stark contrast to last month when Chiefs fans were up in arms after a disappointing opening to the season, and were calling for coach Steve Komphela to be axed.
Meanwhile, over at City, there’s a definite mood of optimism, especially coming off a derby win over Ajax two weeks ago. Saturday’s fixture against Baroka, provides the Green Point-based club another opportunity to continue what has, so far, been a promising start to their debut campaign in the PSL.
Baroka haven’t had the best of times since their promotion to the PSL. They’ve played five games, for one win, one draw and three defeats. But therein is the problem for City - the visitors from the Limpopo Province will be determined to prove they belong at this level. As such, the Capetonians better guard against any sense of complacency affecting the squad. Coach Eric Tinkler, like his Ajax counterpart, has lamented his team’s displays in front of goal. The new Cape PSL club has spoken boldly about making Cape Town Stadium a fortress - to do so, they will have to turn chances into goals on a more consistent basis.
Saturday:
Arrows v Chippa; FS Stars v Maritzburg Utd; Platinum Stars v Celtic; Chiefs v Ajax (Moses Mabhida Stadium, 6pm); CTCity v Baroka FC (Cape Town Stadium, 8.15pm)
Sunday:
SuperSport v Highlands Park ; Polokwane City v Pirates
Cape Times