Young star rising: rave review for Ajax’s Norodien
AJAXCape Town’s outstanding performance against Portugal giants Sporting Lisbon in the Cape Town Cup on Friday night catapulted a few individuals high into the esteem of the overseas managers.
The Parow-based club were hugely impressive in holding Sporting to a 2-2 draw, only to succumb to defeat 4-2 on penalties. But the result wasn’t all that important … What mattered was that Ajax had done the club, the PSL and the city proud with their high-class display.
No names were mentioned, but Ajax coach Roger de Sa admitted that there were informal discussions about certain players afterwards.
“Look, always when you have overseas clubs here, there is an opportunity for doors to open with regard to many things,” said De Sa. “But, yes, there were discussions, there were some chats about players. It’s too soon to talk about anything, though.”
Sporting manager Jorge Jesus, who won the Portuguese league title with Benfica last season, was more effusive in his praise.
“I was surprised by the technical level of Ajax,” he said. “They were good value for their performance. Their players are good technically and they were as good tactically. There are some really good players in their team.
“I believe that, from what I saw, Ajax are at a level of a team that could hold their own in the Portuguese top-flight.”
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew, who steered the south London club to 10th in the English Premiership last season, was as impressed.
“There were a few good performances from the local players over the weekend, but to talk about being interested is premature. In any case, the passport would always be a problem. Perhaps if they married an English woman…,” he added in jest.
While De Sa, Jesus and Pardew never singled out any player, there were quite a few Ajax individuals who put their hands up on Friday night.
Finnish goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola pulled off a few fine saves and was as reliable as ever. Precocious 18-year-old central defender Rivaldo Coetzee goes from strength to strength, left-back Mosa Lebusa’s star is on the rise, combative midfielder Granwald Scott a towering presence, and new signing Ndiviwe Mdabuka an industrious, influential figure.
Bantu Mzwakali was at his creative best, able to regularly get in behind the Portuguese defence, but there’s no doubt the local player of the weekend was irresistible winger Riyaad Norodien.
Just 20, the lad from Kensington taunted and tricked Sporting’s international defenders all evening. His devastating pace and unerring skill were far too much for the opposition. He ghosted past players with ease – and, after showing what he can do against higher quality opponents, Norodien is definitely a player for the future. He has always been tipped for stardom in Europe.
And, while no names were revealed from the private discussions among the clubs, there’s no doubt a great deal would have been spoken about Norodien.
As former Kaizer Chiefs, Hellenic and Santos coach Sergio dos Santos, now chief scout at Ajax, remarked afterwards about Norodien: “Nowhere else in the world will you see skill like that… and, not only that, to have the confidence and audacity to pull off such moves, at such pace, against a great club like Sporting, against some top defenders, that’s just outstanding… I tell you again, nowhere else in the world.”
With the Cape Town Cup at an end, De Sa is now hard at work preparing his team for the start of the new football season. Next Tuesday, the Cape side opens up with an MTN8 quarter-final tie away to Orlando Pirates and the following week is the start of the league campaign, against Wits in Joburg.
“It’s looking positive,” said De Sa. “I was happy with the work-out over the weekend. We were very good against Sporting and, in Sunday’s game against SuperSport, I was able to give a few of the youngsters a run.
“We’ll have to go into the start of the season with a few key injuries, with Tashreeq Morris, Nathan Paulse and Brandon Petersen still out, but that’s the nature of the game.
“We are hoping to have new Zimbabwean signing Thomas Chideu ready… We are just waiting on his work permit. I think he will be good for us. He’s a talented player and just the type of forward we need.”