Newly crowned Telkom Knockout champions Silver Stars secured Premier Soccer League (PSL) boasting rights for the Christmas recess when they cemented their position at the top of the PSL table after a gruelling, uncompromising 0-0 draw against defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns at Atteridgeville’s Super Stadium on Wednesday night.
What the torrid game also proved, however, before the tense 10 000 crowd, was that the PSL title race remains wide open, with at least six teams now shadow boxing and sparring for the prized title.
Meanwhile, there were more tears for the Buccaneers as a rudderless Orlando Pirates continued their agonising season and sunk to a 2-1 PSL defeat against Ajax Cape Town at a sweltering Kimberley Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Ajax snatched a late victory and stunned the 10 000 crowd with an instinctive, close-range goal in the 87th minute from Thembinkosi ”Terror” Fantini.
But, in truth, the team that coach Muhsin Ertugral calls ”my young chicks” outplayed Pirates for much of the game and might easily have won by a more substantial margin.
And adding insult to injury for Pirates, who only a couple of years ago prided themselves on an exciting youth development programme, is that Ajax’s talented youngsters made their new-look team of imports seem like ageing footballers and ran rings round them with subtle and calculated movements.
Ajax made their intentions clear from the kick-off and went ahead within minutes through a smartly-guided, close-range goal from Brent Carelse, and then proceeded to dominate the opening period.
Pirates improved in the second half after a succession of changes and substitute Paulus Masehe put the Buccaneers on level terms in the 60th minute with a precise header from Benedict Vilakazi’s cross.
But Ajax always appeared the team with more poise, precision and purpose and the floundering Orlando giants, who have experienced a succession of deflating setbacks in knock-out competitions this season, continued to wallow in 13th place in the log with an unflattering record that now reads three wins, three draws and four defeats from their 10 matches.
Shuffling his club like a desperate poker player on a losing streak, chairperson Irvin Khoza recently brought in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bibey Mutombo as technical director to bolster the Pirates’ coaching staff.
But the more changes the Buccaneers make, the worse they seem to play — and there is certainly a tinge of panic and lack of professional direction in the way they are operating.
And budding Ajax youngsters like Clifford Ngobeni and Mkhanyiseli Siwahla out-thought and outmanoeuvred their Pirates’ counterparts — many of whom were ironically considered among the brightest prospects in the country not too long ago.
In other PSL games played on Wednesday, Chiefs beat Santos 3-2, Swallows beat AmaZulu 1-0 and Jomo Cosmos and Supersport United played to a goalless draw. — Sapa