For a man whose team has struggled on the road this season, Roger de Sa has been making some fascinating noises this week.
As he looked ahead to the Absa Premiership clash with Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium, the Ajax Cape Town coach spoke of how he fancied his team’s chances of returning to the Mother City with maximum points. De Sa described the league leaders as being ‘distracted’ and not as ‘sharp’ as they were at the beginning of the season.
Yet while that might be the case, De Sa’s view that Amakhosi are ready for the taking could be a tad misplaced.
Yes Stuart Baxter’s team must be under immense pressure right now, what with their having to compete on three fronts – the local league, the Nedbank Cup as well as the CAF Champions League. And it is also true that theirs is not the strongest of squads in the league.
But are Ajax the team to inflict on Chiefs only their second defeat of the season?
The Urban Warriors record on the road this season seems to suggest not. De Sa’s team has won just one of their nine away matches so far, that victory being over Polokwane City.
Their trips to Gauteng have been a disaster, Ajax losing four of their five outings here with the other ending in a draw. And those defeats were not unfortunate losses but hammerings, with Wits and Pirates putting four past them and Tuks giving them three. They ran Sundowns close and only lost 2-1.
Against a Chiefs side that beat them 1-0 in the first round, Ajax will need to be at their best and De Sa is perhaps inspired by the 2-0 victory over Chippa last weekend.
Chiefs may have finally lost their first league match of the season (to SuperSport United a fortnight ago), but they were swift to get back to winning ways with victories in the Nedbank Cup and the Champions League. They will be eager to bag maximum points to ensure their lead over the chasing Sundowns remains a healthy one as the season heads into the final straight.
But De Sa and his Warriors will descend on the FNB brimming with confidence and firmly believing the leaders are there for the taking.
In the other matches tonight, Pirates travel to Free State Stars intent on extending their winning run to five successive matches. But they will meet a Stars side desperate to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone they are slowly being drawn into.
In PE, Chippa United host a Polokwane City side led by their former coach Kosta Papic.
If City’s recent performances are anything to go by, Chippa could be on a hiding to nothing. All matches kick-off at 7.30pm. - The Star