LAKAY THE KEY TO DESPERATE AJAX BEATING CHIEFS
Nick Said
Ajax Cape Town face a must-win Absa Premiership clash with Kaizer Chiefs at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday in their bid to avoid the perilous promotion-relegation play-offs and livewire attacking midfielder Fagrie Lakay is central to their chances. The 20-year-old is on loan from SuperSport United and has been a revelation in the second half of the campaign for the struggling Urban Warriors, providing the kind of game-breaking ability that had been lacking in their play. Ajax know that nothing short of a victory will see them move off 15th position in the league and their counter-attack style under coach Muhsin Ertugral is perfect for Lakay. SuperSport have already said they will use the youngster in their first team next season, but Ertugral believes he should rather stay with him at Ajax - assuming they stay up.
“He is such a big talent and if he can stay another season with me at Ajax, I think he is done in South Africa. Overseas - I think he has a chance for that,” Ertugral told reporters.
“There is only one team [Mamelodi Sundowns] that can really attract him, in my opinion, as they’re playing in the Champions League and winning all the titles. I think that’s the other team that will go for him.
“But I would really like to work with him in future, though sometimes it’s out of our hands. But I talked to him and told him he’s not going anywhere besides with me, so hopefully he’ll stay. He is very hot property.”
Lakay is the youngest international for Bafana Bafana, having made his debut against Ivory Coast aged 17 years, six months and one day in 2014.
But until this season he has battled to make an impression in South Africa’s elite league, relegated to a fringe role at SuperSport who he joined from Cape Town club Santos in 2015.
His professional debut came for the latter in the National First Division as a 15-year-old in October 2012 and he became a first team-regular the following season.
His move to SuperSport was touted as the next step, but just six league starts in two-anda-half seasons tells a story of player who failed to convince that he was ready for the Absa Premiership.
However, a desperate Ajax snapped him up in January as they sought to move away from the relegation zone. While they have not quite managed that, he has been superb with his pace and direct running style, scoring three times and laying on a number of assists.
Whatever happens to Ajax, the breakthrough of Lakay is good news for the country as national team coach Stuart Baxter seeks new, young blood to take the team to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.