Ajax end league victory drought
AJAX Cape Town ended their victory drought four months to the day since their last league win by beating Free State Stars.
AJAX Cape Town ended their victory drought four months to the day since their last Premier Soccer League win by coming from behind to beat Free State Stars 4-2 at the Athlone Stadium yesterday.
The hard-won success lifted the ailing club out of the relegation zone and also provided new coach Jan Versleijen with his first victory in eight attempts.
Ajax now have 22 points, two more than Black Leopards and six more than city rivals Chippa United, who are last on the standings. Leopards have played one more match than the two Cape Town clubs.
Abia Nale, on loan at Ajax from Kaizer Chiefs, proved the star of the show on his return from knee injury to set up the equaliser and then help secure three precious points for the beleaguered hosts.
He provide a pinpoint cross for Lebohang Manyama to equalise at the back post in the 34th minute after a thunderous 21st minute shot from Thapelo Mkhatshwa had handed Stars the lead.
Nale burst through the middle to fire home from the edge of the box to put Ajax 2-1 up just minutes into the second half.
He ran himself ragged and popped up in several positions throughout the game, both on the left and right and even at centre forward as Ajax played without suspended target man Mabhuti Khenyeza and left their talismanic Zimbabwe star Khama Billiat on the bench until he came on for Nale for the last 10 minutes.
Billiat got the third goal on the breakaway with five minutes left by lobbing it over the head of Stars goalkeeper Tshepo Motsoeneng.
But on the stroke of full-time centreback Sadate Ouro-Akoriko blasted a shot from about 30m out to reduce the deficit to 3-2 — only for Ajax to score straight away again from the kickoff and go 4-2 up as Billiat grabbed a second with an easy tap-in from close range.
For the visitors it was a fourth successive defeat in a sudden slump that has seen them drop from fourth to seventh in the standings.
Ajax have gone nine games without a win since their last league success, a last-gasp victory over Maritzburg United on December 7.
Ajax play Orlando Pirates next on Wednesday night at the Cape Town Stadium (7.30pm) in a match postponed from last month because of the Buccaneers’ participation in the African Champions League.
In the other game yesterday, Bloemfontein Celtic and Maritzburg United played to a 1-1 draw at Free State Stadium. United went to the break with a 1-0 lead over Bloemfontein Celtic, after Mario Booysen netted in the 35th minute, but Mduduzi Nyanda levelled matters in the 45th minute.