Ajax advance after stunning weary Pirates
New signing makes good his debut as absence of key players costs Bucs
AJAX Cape Town created the first upset of the new season with a 1-0 win over Orlando Pirates at the start of the MTN8 to advance to the semifinals later this month.
New signing Ndiviwe Mdabuka scored on debut early in the second half to separate the two sides in an open game in which Pirates looked alarmingly fatigued and were hampered by the absence of several key players out with injury.
But the Buccanners still had their fair share of chances at home against a side that they scored 10 goals against last season.
This time, however, they were foiled by their own over-elaboration in front of goal and some stout goalkeeping from Anssi Jaakkola.
Mdabuka’s goal came six minutes into the second half after some sloppy defending and fortuitous touch back into the dangerous zone from Riyad Norodien, whose ball was snapped up by Mdabuka and finished with some aplomb.
Pirates made three quick changes after conceding the goal to try to force an equaliser, but despite pinning Ajax back could not convert in the final stages, even as their coastal visitors wilted in the thin air.
Ajax had the first chance of the game inside the opening 10 minutes after a smart interchange of passes that ended with Mdabuka, one of three debutants on the night for the visitors, hitting his shot wide of goal.
Sifiso Myeni produced Pirates’ first effort in the 16th minute but his shot was well saved by Jaakkola with the rebound headed against the crossbar by new signing Amigo Memela, but the Pirates debutant was in an offside position.
It took another 20 minutes for the next shooting opportunity as Patrick Phungwayo intercepted a stray pass by Abubakar Mobara, played it up to Lehlohonolo Majoro and ran onto the return pass, but did not hit it with his right and by favouring his left foot, allowed time for Ajax to check his progress.
Majoro had a chance of his own three minutes before interval at the end of a sweeping move set up by Memela, a past product of the Ajax academy, but Majoro missed with his left-footed effort.
After that, there were chances again for Majoro and for substitute Menzi Masuku and right near the end for Mpho Makola, let down by his first touch.
Pirates had to play without Happy Jele, Kermit Erasmus and Thabo Matlaba but hope to have Jele back at least for Saturday’s African Confederation Cup tie against CS Sfaxien of Tunisia.
This tournament has previously been dominated not just by clubs from Gauteng‚ but Soweto in particular. The trophy has been lifted on 27 occasions by teams from the area from the 40 previous stagings of the event‚ with defending champions Kaizer Chiefs leading the way with 15 of those wins.
The tournament has been played every year since its inception‚ except directly after the formation of the Premier Soccer League between 1997 and 1999‚ but its popularity meant it made a return for 2000.
It has also been played in various formats in the 1970s as the number of teams was expanded to 16‚ then bizarrely 17‚ and even the 32 which played in 1976. With Nick Said