Chiefs faithful sing jingle bells aloud after Ajax win
● Dumisani Zuma’s first goal for new club Kaizer Chiefs could not have come at a more important juncture, scored five minutes from the end of their last match of 2017.
Chiefs beat struggling Ajax Cape Town at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban yesterday and send their faithful off for their holidays with a decent dose of Christmas cheer.
The late strike pushed Chiefs into second place in the Premier Soccer League log table, just above Free State Stars on goal difference but well off the runaway leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
But for coach Steve Komphela the victory comes as a much-needed boost with 2018, offering the chance to turn things around especially after the pre-match news of the signing of Leonardo Castro from Sundowns.
It was a deserved win and it might have been a bigger winning margin had Ajax goalkeeper Jody February not made two fine saves from Pule Ekstein and Zuma in the last stages of the match.
“It’s a nice Xmas present,” said Komphela, who looked more relieved than delighted with the success because Chiefs should have wrapped the match up much easier but were again wasteful in front of goal.
In the first half, Amakhosi dominated their youthful opponents in all departments with Ekstein, Bernard Parker and Siphiwe Tshabalala all moving the ball around with great efficiency but not providing the finishing touch.
The pace of Chiefs’ play caused all sorts of problems for a jittery Urban Warriors defence who were hanging on for dear life.
Marksman Parker came closest in the first half with a shot across the face of the Ajax goal from a right angle that just nicked the outside of the post.
The 31-year-old was set up by Tshabalala, restored to the lineup after being left out last week against Platinum Stars only to come on and scored a late winner.
The Cape Town visitors, who have only won one of their last 16 away matches against Chiefs, had rare breaks with Thabo Mosadi and Innocent Nemukondeni dangerous on the wings but their square passes being easily cleared.
Parker had to go off with a hamstring injury early in the second half to be replaced by Gustavo Paez, who might have gotten onto the score sheet within five minutes of coming on but flashed his shot wide of goal from close range.
Central midfield player Khotso Malope, who had come on as an early substitute for the injured leftback Philani Zulu, fired just wide with his effort in the 67th minute and a Tshabalala freekick some 10 minutes later was missed by defender Teenage Hadebe, who had he got a touch would surely have steered it into the back of the net.