In a controversial and disorganised MTN 8 game that contained everything except quality soccer at Rustenburg’s sparsely-filled Olympia Park on Saturday afternoon, Moroka Swallows beat what was ultimately a disgruntled nine-man Ajax Cape Town team 4-3 after extra-time.
Swallows led 2-0 at half-time on a balmy afternoon and dominated the first of the three distinctive stanzas after the in-form Lefa Tsutsulupa opened the score in only the ninth minute with an angled shot of some considerable ingenuity — with Sandile Ndlovu initially splitting the Ajax defence.
Tsutsulupa returned the compliment by initiating a 36th minute goal for Ndlovu with an ingenious back-pass.
But instead of putting the boot in, the Birds lost their wings while playing with little composure or cohesion.
And after an unmarked Brett Evans had been gifted a 49th minute goal for Ajax following a Sameegh Doutie corner, the Cape Town team conducted an assault on the Swallows’ goal for the second period.
Even the sending off of Nhlanla Shabalala in the 82nd minute for a second bookable offence did not halt Ajax’s concerted endeavour for an equaliser.
However, when it finally materialised in the 90th minute through Brazilian defender Eduardo Ferreira, it was the product of a bizarre refereeing blunder, with Doutie a good 10m off-side. Justice was perhaps done, under the circumstances, when Swallows regained the lead in extra-time through a Morgan Shivambu header, with Ajax in disarray with nine men when substitute Ryan Botha made the score 4-2 in the 115th minute.
But, if nothing else, the game was conspicuous for the unexpected and former Kaizer Chiefs striker Mahbuti Khenyeza scrambled the ball into the net for Ajax’s third goal on the stroke of full-time.
Swallows’ new Brazilian coach Julio Cesar Leal praised the achievement of his team in beating last season’s Premier League runners-up. But all this proved is that the Brazilian coach is a master of diplomacy.
As for Swallows’ new Brazilian on-the-field reinforcements, judgement might best be reserved at this early stage. – Sapa