Another poor performance as Chiefs relinquish PSL title

KAIZER Chiefs were officially dethroned as champions last night as they were held to a goalless draw by Ajax Cape Town and have now gone eight games without a victory.

Chiefs, with five games left in the league season, can now only attain 56 points if they win their remaining matches, and, with Mamelodi Sundowns victorious earlier in the day against Jomo Cosmos, and advancing to 58 points, Chiefs are out of the title race.

Not that they held out much hope over the last weeks after a drought in front of goal. A second draw in five days did move Chiefs back to fourth place, but the club look like they are slipping into a crisis of confidence.

They did have an effort from Siphiwe Tshabalala cleared off the line in the second half, but Ajax could have snapped up the points had Nathan Paulse’s diving header not struck the upright 11 minutes from the end.

The decisive factor, however, was Ajax goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola, who came up with some brilliant stops.

Amakhosi were hoping to replicate the pace and pressure of Tuesday’s performance with a four-man attack against Mpumalanga Black Aces, but Ajax set out to spoil their plan with a strong pressure game and tight marking that they managed to enforce with some rigour, inducing a tardy spectacle.

However, Chiefs began to unshackle themselves when Willard Katsande got away a shot that Jaakkola turned round for a corner in the 30th minute and, then three minutes later, dealt with an effort from Tshabalala in a similar manner.

Striker Bernard Parker shot wide with a good opportunity four minutes after that and at the end of the half he put William Twala away with just the goalkeeper to beat, but Jaakkola made a brave stop.

It took Ajax 43 minutes to get their first shot in on the Chiefs goal, a tame effort from Ndiviwe Mdabuka that Reyaad Pieterse, again deputising for the injured Itumeleng Khune, dealt with comfortably.

After the break, the stylish Twala had three efforts from tight angles but missed them all, while a mistake from Mulomowandau Mathoho almost allowed Paulse through.

Both sides now have a 10-day break before they return to league action, having been eliminated from the Nedbank Cup which hosts its quarterfinal matches next weekend.