The Urban Warriors currently lead the ABSA Premier League standings and had not dropped a point in four league matches this year, that was until they hosted Chiefs and were held to a 1-1 draw by The Amakhosi at the start of the month.

Since then Ajax have been beaten in the league and have seen their lead at the top of the standings cut to just a single point. Chiefs, buoyed by not just the win against Stars but their overall performance, will be thinking that they can move on to the next round of the competition.

Ajax are the defending champions, a trophy they were guided to with current Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral, Chiefs though do have the big match temperament and proved in their 2005 – 2006 triumph in this same competition that they prefer playing against the best teams.

With Chiefs being given the perfect boost with their weekend victory and Ajax trying to overcome the bumps in their road to league glory, Friday evening's match will be interesting match between two teams whose ambitions for the next three months of competition could not be more different.

In the past

The first cup game between Chiefs and Ajax Cape Town took place on the 7th August 2000 and it was a match where Ajax ran out 3-0 victors over The Amakhosi, and went to the final of the 2000 – 2001 BP Top 8 and were eventually beaten by Orlando Pirates at the FNB Stadium.

The next cup clash between the teams came in the 2002 - 2003 season, and this time Stanton Fredericks ensured that Chiefs would be on their way to the next round of the Coca Cola Cup as he scored the game's only goal in the 21st minute to send Chiefs to the final of the 2002 – 2003 Coca Cola Cup.

Later that same season the teams squared up again this time at the Newlands rugby Stadium in Cape Town in the ABSA Cup (now Nedbank Cup) in March 2003, after the teams finished goalless at the end of ninety minutes and extra time. Moeneeb Josephs was the hero as Ajax triumphed on penalties.

The teams met again in the ABSA Cup in 2003 – 2004 when Ajax prevailed in an entertaining game that saw Chiefs midfielder Stanton Fredericks put the ball wide from six yards out with the goal at his mercy; the midfielder said a few years later that he still cannot understand how he did not score that goal.

The classic

Perhaps the pick of the cup matches fought out between the teams must be the 2003 – 2004 Coca Cola Cup Quarterfinals. It was a five-goal, thrill a minute match which was played in front of a capacity crowd at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.

What made the match all the more special was the fact that the Fifa Inspection team were in town and they attended the match; later in their report they mentioned that match was played in a friendly but competitive atmosphere.

Arthur Zwane was the star of the match and he opened the scoring for Chiefs, Wilfred Mugeyi then equalized before David Radebe put Chiefs 2-1 up; Ajax then found another equalizer. But they had no reply to Patrick Mayo’s 67th minute strike which proved to be the match winner and saw Chiefs through 3-2 to the semifinals. They eventually ended up winning the 2003 – 2004 Coca Cola Cup.

Chiefs Vs Ajax Cup matches since 1999 - 2000

2000 - 2001


BP TOP Eight Semifinals


7th August 2000


Kaizer Chiefs 0 Ajax Cape Town 3 (Makasa, Pienaar, Scott)

2002 – 2003


Coca Cola Cup Semifinal


16th November 2002


Ajax Cape Town 0 Kaizer Chief (Fredericks 21’)

ABSA Cup 2nd Round


6th March 2003


Ajax Cape Town 0 Kaizer Chiefs 0


(Ajax won 5-4 penalties)

2003 - 2004


Coca Cola Quarterfinals


26th November 2003


Kaizer Chiefs 3 (Zwane, Radebe, Mayo) Ajax Cape Town 2 (Mugeyi, Zibi)

ABSA Cup 2nd Round


3rd April 2004


Chiefs 0 Ajax Cape Town 1 (Mugeyi)

Head to Head Chiefs Vs Ajax Cape Town Cup Matches Since 1999 – 2000