Cape Town - While the Kaizer Chiefs steam train took a while to pick up speed on Sunday, they departed from Cape Town Stadium with their 13th consecutive victory of the season.
But their win wasn’t without controversy, as a diabolical display by referee Robert Smith took some of the gloss off the weekend’s premier league fixture between the second-placed Ajax and the league leaders Chiefs.
Smith made a few bizarre decisions in the first stanza that upset both benches. He just wasn’t consistent enough and his decisions upset the rhythm of the game.
The Ajax bench were a bit more vocal, and assistant coach Ian Taylor was given his marching orders late in the first half after an ongoing verbal battle with the fourth official.
Ajax coach Roger de Sa said he didn’t know why the referee sent his right-hand man off.
“I think the officials must answer that question, but they are probably busy having a hot shower,” De Sa said after the match.
“Our concerns were no yellow cards for the Chiefs players, and our player got a yellow card for his first tackle. We ask for some co sistency.”
Stuart Baxter’s team, though, marched on and secured their eighth consecutive win in the league this season. Their other victories have come in cup competitions.
A powerful header by Tefu Mashamaite four minutes into the second half gave Chiefs the solitary goal they needed to beat Ajax, who actually dominated proceedings in the first half.
“It was a difficult game, because Ajax are a good side on their home patch,” Chiefs coach Baxter said.
Not many teams are jeered before a home fixture, but when Ajax entered the sun-drenched Cape Town Stadium they were booed by the “visiting” fans, who outnumbered the Ajax faithful 10-1.
However, this didn’t deter the Urban Warriors from having a go at the league leaders, who had the best attacking and defensive records coming into the clash.
Chiefs played Siphiwe Tshabalala at the sharp end of their attack after Bernard Parker injured his ankle on Saturday. And it soon became clear why coach Baxter decided to play one of his creative weapons further up the pitch, as the dreadlocked midfielder operated as a “false No9”.
Chiefs were content to let Ajax come at them in the first half, and waited for Ajax to make a mistake before counter-attacking with the pace and intelligence of Tshabalala.
However, this Ajax side don’t give the ball away cheaply when in possession.
But the Cape side took advantage of some careless football by Amakhosi and created a few openings in the first stanza. However, they didn’t have that killer instinct to put away the visitors.
“We gave the ball away a lot, and Ajax took advantage,” Baxter said. “We are usually good in transition, but we rushed that first pass. So we didn’t get any momentum. We also couldn’t get our full-backs into the game.”
Young Bantu Mzwakali was Ajax’s most dangerous player during a good period for the home side halfway through the first half.
The former Ajax youth star picked up the ball in dangerous areas and injected pace into their attacks in the final third of the pitch.
Ex-Ajax player midfielder George Maluleka, who looked a bit off-colour following a top start to the season, fouled Mzwakali just outside the Chiefs penalty area in the 16th minute.
Chiefs goalkeeper Brilliant Khuzwayo then produced a top save to keep the resulting free kick out, as Mzwalaki aimed for the top-left corner of his goal.
But in the 32nd minute Mzwakali took an age to get his shot off after he found himself in prime position to score inside the Chiefs penalty area.
Chiefs fans then went berserk in the 49th minute when Tshabalala whipped in a top ball for the giant Mashamaite to steer the ball past Anssi Jaakkola’s left hand.
Chiefs’ train, though, looks like its just getting warmed up.
Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Bloemfontein Celtic outplayed Polokwane City on a scorching, energy-sapping afternoon to gain an emphatic 5-1 Absa Premiership victory at the Kaizer Sebothelo Stadium.
Cape Times