Sharp City punish soft Ajax in enthralling derby

THE CITY of Cape Town is, symbolically, bedecked in blue after Cape Town City edged out neighbours Ajax 1-0 in the inaugural Cape derby meeting between the two clubs on Friday night. And what an enthralling night it was. The derby lived up to expectations, in producing an open, entertaining game of football.

The off-field feud and enmity between City and Ajax exploded into an exhilarating, compelling and rip-roaring encounter. Both teams had their chances, both teams missed quite a few – but, on the bal- ance of play, City emerged as deserved winners. From a fan perspective, it was the ideal game – open and attractive – but, from a coach’s slant, it was the stuff of nightmares, especially the manner in which both teams defended.

For City, though, there were quite a few heroes to mention. Out wide, there was the pace, the flair, the creativity and the sheer audacity in possession of wingers Aubrey Ngoma and Bongolethu Jayiya. The duo was mesmerising and watch- ing them in tandem rip the Ajax defence to shreds was worth the entrance fee alone. In fact, Ajax appeared to be short on memory: Back in September 2012, they were thrashed at home (at Cape Town Stadium) 5-1 by the University of Pretoria, and on that occasion Ngoma got four goals against them.

On Friday, along with Jayiya, Ngoma again terrorised Ajax, and he’s likely to remain a spectre haunting their nightmares for some time to come. Mpho Matsi in central midfield was an industrious immovable presence, captain Lebogang Manyama led from the front, striker Judas Moseamedi cut a threatening figure whenever in possession, while local Cape kid Ebrahim Seedat picked up the man-ofthe-match award for a superb performance that mixed dashing attack and stoic defence from his position at left-back.

For Ajax, on the other hand, there were far too many who seemed to have left their pas- sion and focus at home. In short, a few players just never turned up and that placed an extra load of responsibility on those who had actually come to play. Somebody needs to hammer home to Ajax what a derby is actually all about. There may only be three points on offer – but the attitude, the approach, the intensity is different. On Friday, as before, there was a softness about Ajax that was concerning. Games such as these, where the rivalry is fervent, call for warriors. It re- quires footballers who dig deep and get stuck in. But, Ajax simply lacked the aggression and defiance demanded of players when competing in a derby.

As much as City grasped the significance of it all, and played with the requisite spirit and vigour, Ajax generally went about their business as if it was just another ordinary match. And they paid the price for their indifference as they got swept aside by City’s devotion and commitment to the occasion.

Jayiya scored the game’s only goal following a cross from Thato Mokeke. By the time Ajax woke up, especially towards the end of the second half, when they threw everything at the opposition, it was a case of too little, too late. To be fair, though, during this period they missed some really easy scoring opportunities that could, potentially, have changed the result.

The most glaring issue affecting Ajax at the moment appears to be the reliance on veteran striker Nathan Paulse. Because he’s the focal point of the attack, everything revolves around him. The build-ups are always centred on bringing Paulse into play and, as such, they have become rather predictable.

For all the enterprise and creative talent in the Ajax squad, their natural game is often hamstrung by the constant search for Paulse.

Ajax need to find a way of incorporating Paulse while, at the same time, allowing them to play with freedom and instinct within the team structure. Right now it’s not happening, and that’s at the root of their troubles.