Sport: Stage set for thrilling soccer cup final:
De Sa banks on Ajax’s young guns to lift Cup against Downs
AJAX Cape Town soccer coach Roger De Sa is hoping that his youthful side will be able to win him the Nedbank Cup today when they play Mamelodi Sundowns at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at 3pm.
The Urban Warriors could be the first team outside of Gauteng to lift the trophy since the inception of Nedbank’s sponsorship – that’s if they come out on top today.
“It’s exciting times for us and we are looking forward to the final. There is a lot that has been said about the youthfulness of our team and all the youngsters that we have put through and how we have got here.
“For us it’s been great, it’s been a fantastic journey. We have overcome some tough opponents along the way and we have really made it exciting by scoring in the last couple of minutes. “Stretching for results here and there is something that we have achieved a little bit earlier than expected.
“It’s always great to play against a team like Sundowns. If my youngsters play without fear, it could be a fantastic football final.
De Sa said winning the trophy would be a big thing for them.
“The club hasn’t won a trophy in about seven or eight years or even reached the finals. For us with a very young team that is made up of players that have come out of the academy.
“I can tell you this, from the players that have made the squad, 15 of the 18 players who are here in PE, joined the club at the age of 11.
“They are really homemade products, so we are really proud of that. I don’t think it happens anywhere in the world.
“It’s a unique scenario where a club can have so many home- grown players, and I have often said this, if there only were another five or six Ajax Cape Towns in South African football.
“I think the state of our football will be a lot better because of the production line that we have,” De Sa said.
He added: “I want my players to re- ally enjoy the day, have a great time today – win or lose. I would like them to have a taste of it (final) and they must love it so much, that they want it back and they will keep on fighting to make the next final.”
De Sa will be sitting in the stands today, as he is serving a suspension, after being shown a red card during their last match of the season against Orlando Pirates.
Cape Town side’s path to the final saw them achieve the biggest win in the competition, when they thrashed Mainstay United 9-1.
They then went on to beat Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 at home, Bidvest Wits and SuperSport United 2-1 at home.
Meanwhile their opponents, Sundowns, advanced to the final following victories over Thanda Royal Zulu (2-0 home), Platinum Stars (3-1 away), Mpumalanga Black Aces (2-0 away) and Vasco Da Gama (1-0 home).
The two sides have met in eight cup games previously
The Tshwane side has three outright wins compared to two for the Capetonains, though the three drawn games have all gone to penalties and been won by the Urban Warriors.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane said as much as it was important for them to win the trophy, what mattered most to him was his contribution to football in SA.
“You can ask me where the medal that I won at the Nedbank those years at SuperSport United, I don’t know where that medal is. I don’t know where the medal (PSL) of last year is.
“Football is not about those things, its about contributing to the development of football. It’s like people who hang certificates on their walls of different degrees, what do you contribute to life?,” Mosimane said.
Teko Modise of Sundowns, who has been nominated the PSL player’s player of the season award will be a key player on the pitch today.
Ajax’s Tashreeq Morris, who scored the winning goal against SuperSport to secure his team’s spot in the final will be the focus of Sundowns’ attention.