Had there been a roof on the Ellis Park stadium it would have been lifted off following the tumultuous welcome that the capacity 60 000 crowd gave the visiting Fifa technical team led by Belgium Football Association president Jan Peeters as he and his delegation

entered the pitch prior to the kick-off of Saturday's Coca-Cola Cup quarterfinal clash between Kaizer Chiefs and Ajax Cape Town.

The crowd gave the Fifa team led onto the pitch by Minister of Sport Ngconde Balfour a typical warm South African welcome that must have impressed the high profile visitors, who are in the country to determine if South Africa has the capabilities to host the 2010 World Cup finals.

The Fifa technical team arrived in Johannesburg on Thursday for their week long stay and leave on Wednesday when they wind up their inspection in Cape Town.

The passion and enthusiasm shown by the fans again showed South Africa is the front-runners in the 2010 bid stakes.

That passion off the field matched the passion shown by the players in a pulsating cup tie, which Chiefs won 3-2.

The first half was played at a blistering pace and ended 2-2. It was edge-of-the-seat stuff.

But both teams blotted their copy books in injury time when Ajax midfielder Shane Poggenpoel and Chiefs defender David Kannemeyer were sent off for an altercation.

It was end-to-end action and the massive crowd was loving it. A thunderstorm shortly before kick-off made the pitch slippery, which should have suited the Capetonians.

But it was Amakhosi, who drew first blood in the 14th minute when lightning fast Chiefs right-wing Arthur Zwane beat the offside trap and coolly slotted past a bemused Moeneeb Josephs in the Ajax goal.

The Ajax players complained bitterly that Zwane was offside but referee Simon Motau and his assistant got it right as television replays showed that Zwane's was too quick for the visitors defence.

But Ajax dug deep and were level in the 27th minute when veteran Zimbabwean striker Wilfred Mugeyi latched onto a neat pass form Josep Ngake and blasted past keeper Brian Baloyi to make it 1-1.

A tremendous piece of skill from Chiefs midfield genius Jabu Pule initiated the home team's second goal.

Pule waltzed through the Ajax defence and laid off a perfect pass to David Radebe, who gave Josephs no chance with a clinical finish to put Chiefs 2-1 ahead on the half hour mark.

But Ajax showed they were not going to sit back when their SA under-23 midfielder Anele Zibi shot towards goals and had his thunderous effort deflected into Chiefs' net by defender Patrick Mabedi giving Baloyi no chance in the 34th minute.

Ajax went for the jugular after the break. Ngake was narrowly wide of the far upright with a curling shot in the 47th minute. Two minutes later Mugeyi was unlucky when he thudded a header off the crossbar and from the rebound hit a rocket that screamed past the woodwork.

But Chiefs were soon hunting goals and it took a magnificent save from Josephs to keep out Patrick Mayo's goal bound header in 51st minute.

Chiefs had an anxious moment when Mugeyi hit the side netting with another powerful effort on 66 minutes.

But the crowd burst into celebration two minutes later when Mayo made it 3-2 when he collected a through ball from Pule and beat Josephs with a great rasping shot.

Ajax were not finished and it took a stunning save from Baloyi to deny Dikilu Bageta a goal from a free kick in the 73rd minute.

Pule almost put the icing on top of the cake in the 84th minute when his curling shot inched past the post.

With time running out Ajax tried desperately for the winner as Brent Carelse found himself in space but shot against the side netting with four minutes remaining.