Ajax Cape Town opened the 2005/06 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season with a victory over Jomo Cosmos when they ran out 2-1 winners at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday. The teams were level on one all at the interval.
Ajax were the better side and were in complete control, but could not penetrate a solid defence. When Ajax attacked, at times the visitors had 10 players in the box. The winning goal was scored in the 90th minute, when Brett Evans’s free kick from 25m was dropped by Avril Phadi and substitute Stanton Lewis slammed the ball home.
The first shot on target by either side came in the 25th minute, when Evans unleashed a powerful shot from 25m that went just over the bar. Cosmos came close in the 29th minute, when Lucky Mhlathe raced through the middle. He was harassed by Thiery Mouyouma but kicked behind.
Ajax opened the score in the 30th minute when Evans took a free kick from 35m. He kicked high, and the ball went over Phadi’s head.
The visitors came close in the 35th minute when Bamuza Sono shot from the edge of the box. Andre Betin, substituting for Moeneeb Joseph, who was on suspension, dived to his left to save the ball in the corner.
On half-time, Chris Latongo cut in from the right and raced along the goal line before taking a shot. The ball was poorly handled by Betin, and rolled in to level the score.
Lewis replaced Henry Fanteni in the 61st minute, and his first touch saw his shot just wide of the upright.
Phadi brought off an outstanding save in the 79th minute when he had to dive full-length to his left to save a hard shot from Nhlanhla Shabalala. — Sapa