CAPE TOWN - Ajax Cape Town will have to tackle PSL log leaders Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday night without exciting 18-year-old prospect Grant Margeman.
Margeman was on Monday named in the SA U20 squad to do duty at the 2017 CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), taking place in Zambia. The tournament will be held from from February 26 to March 12 in Lusaka and Ndola, and South Africa are in a group with Cameroon, Senegal and Sudan.
The teenager from Bonteheuwel, who recently matriculated at Modderdam High School had, in fact, been in camp with the provisional U20 squad when Ajax coach Stanley Menzo made an official request to national coach Thabo Senong that the player be released for the weekend’s game against Polokwane City.
The response was positive, Margeman was allowed to join the Cape side in Polokwane, and he proceeded to deliver another solid, mature performance, netting his team’s goal in a 1-1 draw.
Senong yesterday trimmed the squad to 21 players, and Margeman was an easy inclusion, which means that Ajax will miss the talented youngster not just for the Chiefs clash but for the next few weeks as well.
“It’s going good with the U-20s,” said Margeman. “We have prepared well and had our last international friendly on Sunday, which we drew 1-1 against Mali. But I think we have a strong team going into the tournament
Last week, in the Cape derby, Margeman came on as a second half substitute and injected energy and enthusiasm into the team’s performance. At the weekend, he continued the momentum with a well-taken goal.
“It felt amazing scoring my second goal of the season,” he said. “The more games I’m playing I’m getting stronger, both physically and mentally. I’m starting to read the game better, and understanding what the coach wants from me.”
Margeman is certainly a talent to watch. Having started his junior career at Citrus Spurs in Bonteheuwel, his early promise saw him land a spot in the Ajax youth academy at the age of 14. Last year he played a prominent role in the Ajax U-19s conquering Europe in two tournaments in the Netherlands, where they took out teams like Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven.
It was then on to the PSL, where Margeman is already making an impact. And, now, he is keen on replicating that form for the SA U-20s at the junior AFCON in Zambia.
As for Margeman’s teammates, they are in for a tough challenge against much-improved and super-confident Chiefs this Saturday. Just a few months ago, there were rumblings of dissatisfaction around coach Steve Komphela. Fast-forward to the present and the Soweto club, after five consecutive wins, are top of the PSL standings.
It’s ample proof that, in football, in the end, it’s all about patience. There are no quick-fixes in this game - and a coach needs time, and space, to instil his approach and thinking on a squad. Komphela, even during the lean times, has always been supported by his employers and it’s certainly paid off.
Now the challenge for Amakhosi is to maintain that momentum. In Ajax, they’ll be up against an opponent desperate to re-discover its best form. And, as they say, in the PSL, there’s no better stage for players to find form, and perform to potential, than against the country’s best supported and most popular football team.
This week’s PSL fixtures:
Tuesday:
Platinum Stars v Mamelodi Sundowns
Wednesday:
SuperSport United v Maritzburg Utd; Wits v Baroka FC
Friday:
Chippa United v Golden Arrows