Premier Soccer League

Vodacom Loftus, Tshwane

20h00

Playing conditions: Warm and dry, temperature at kick off 27°C

It was not to be a happy reunion for Amakhosi coach Muhsin Ertugral when Chiefs came face to face with his former club Ajax Cape Town in Tshwane on Saturday evening, as an eight minute strike from Russell Mwafulirwa gave Ajax all three points.

The win was the Urban Warriors first against Chiefs in a league game since 2001; it was also The Amakhosi’s second loss of the season.

Ajax hardly threatened the Chiefs goal throughout the game and made the one half chance that came their way count while Chiefs were once again guilty of squandering a host of opportunities in each half.

Siphiwe Tshabalala worked effortlessly in the midfield and was central to creating a number of openings for Chiefs. He, like the large crowd at the Vodacom Loftus Stadium, must be wondering how Chiefs could have fourteen shots at goal and not find the back of the net.

Khune beaten

While Chiefs again for the fourth time this season had the better of the play, they for the fourth consecutive left the stadium without a win. In the end all it took was for Ajax to convert one chance and win the game.

As fate would have it that is exactly what happened when in the 7th minute Moketi Tsotetsi mistimed his tackle and the ball hit an Ajax player and fell to Mwafulirwa who took two steps and shot the ball across goal between two Chiefs defenders, and past the despairing lunge of Itumeleng Khune. It was the first time this season that Khune had been beaten in open play, as the two previous goals the Chiefs keeper had conceded against Cosmos and Wits were in the form of spot kicks.

Unable to convert

Chiefs had the opportunities and carved the openings to have scored a hatfull of goals and could have comfortably have won the game. In the space of two minutes in the first half, Chiefs let go two glorious goal scoring opportunities go by. In the twentieth minute Ditheko Mototo ran onto a sublime back heel from Tshabalala on the left, and knocked the ball along the ground to where Mabhudi Khenyeza was standing. The Chiefs striker miss kicked the ball as it came to him. With the goal gaping in front of him, Khenyeza could not get anything on to the ball as the slightest touch would have seen the ball go home.

Two minutes later and Shaun Bartlett flicked the a cross from Tshabalala towards Khenyeza who in turn laid the ball to Thuso Phala on the right, Phala rushed into his shot and dragged the ball wide.

Vonk to the rescue

Chiefs came out in the second half looking to find a way back into the game. Soon after the kick off Tinashe Nengomasha forced Hans Vonk into making a superb save when he ran onto and unleashed a ferocious shot from just out side the Ajax 18 yard area. This after Bartlett had won and aerial dual and headed the ball into his path. The Zimbabwean international drove the ball goal wards and Vonk stood his ground and managed to push the ball over.

Frustration compounded

An evening of near misses for Chiefs turned into pure agony as Kaizer Junior let Ajax off the hook when Cyril Nzama played a ball towards him from the right. The Chiefs striker slid and with the goal at his mercy he completely missed the ball.

Another Chiefs striker who had a frustrating day at the office was Khenyeza, and his frustration was complete when in the 80th minute he looked to have had strong claims for a penalty turned down, when he looked to have been up ended in the Ajax 18 yard area after he had gotten past his marker. Instead of getting what looked like a penalty which could have seen Chiefs find a way back into the game, The Amakhosi striker was handed a yellow card from the referee for diving.

Line Up’s:

Kaizer Chiefs (4-4-2): 32. Itumeleng Khune, 33. Ditheko Mototo, 4. Cyril Nzama, 29. Moketi Tsotetsi, 35. Jonathan Quartey, 8. Tinashe Nengomasha, 27. Gerald Sibeko, 26. Thuso Phala, 14. Siphiwe Tshabalala, 17. Shaun Bartlett, 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza

Substitutions:

In: 22. Mandla Masango Out: 26. Thuso Phala 31 min


In: 7. Kaizer Motaung Junior Out: 29. Moketi Tsotetsi 46 min


In: 13. David Obua Out: 17. Shaun Bartlett 60 min

Substitutes not used: 1. Markus Bocsker, 2. Jimmy Tau, 18. Arthur Zwane

Cautions: Yellow Cards: 5. Mabhudi Khenyeza 80 min (diving)


Coach: Muhsin Ertugral


Assistant Coach: Fani Madida


Goalkeeper Coach: Rainer Dinkelacker

Ajax Cape Town (4-4-2): 1. Hans Vonk, 20. Bryce Moon, 14. Eduardo Ferreira, 13. Bageta Dikulu, 25. Brett Evans, 7. Nhlanhla Shabalala, 10. Andile Mbenyame, 17. Eyong Enoh, 31. Clinton Emmanuel, 19. Russell Mwafulirwa, 11. Jonathan Fransman

In: 12. Granwald Scott Out: 11. Jonathan Fransman 62 min


In: 4. Dominic Isaacs Out: 19. Russell Mwafulirwa 86 min


In: 8. Roberto Santo Out: 31. Clinton Emmanuel 90+4 min


Cautions: Yellow Cards: 25. Bret Evans 50 min (pulling back Mandla Masango),

1. Hans Vonk 75 min (time wasting)


Ejection: Craig Rosslee (Ajax Coach for dissent) 66 min


Coach: Craig Rosslee


Assistant Coach: Wilfred Mugeyi

Match Officials:

Referee: Mahlomola Jonas Nhlapho


Assistant 1: Enoch Molefe


Assistant 2: Fikile Mtintsilana


4th Official: Robert Sithole


Match Commissioner: Phil Masemola