Ajax Cape Town got their African Champions League campaign off to a winning start with a 3-2 victory over Zimbabwean side Monomotapa United at Boland Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
On the balance of play, however, the Urban Warriors should have won by a larger margin and now face a tough test in the second leg of the tie, away in Zimbabwe.
The match was played in scorching hot conditions, with the thermometer reaching 37 degrees Celsius just before kick-off.
The Cape Town side had the better of play for the first 20 minutes, and should have had at least had three goals to their name
It took the home side just five minutes to go ahead, courtesy of a penalty which was awarded after a foul on Thulani Serero.
Mabuthi Khenyeza did the honours from the penalty spot, easily beating Monomotapa United goalkeeper Godfrey Mangoue.
The Zimbabwean side looked out of sorts in defence early on and Ajax soon capitalised, scoring just three minutes later when Khenyeza turned sharply inside the box before firing home with his left foot.
The Urban Warriors should have further increased their lead, but Khenyeza headed over the bar and then Franklyn Cale missed a sitter right in front of goal, heading wide from a good delivery by Sameehg Doutie.
Monomotapa did, however, begin to enjoy a couple of chances in front of goal and in the ninth minute Daniel Zokoto went inches wide with a first time volley from the edge of the area.
The visitors pulled themselves back into the game, scoring in the 23rd minute when Zokoto miscued a shot, before the ball fell kindly to Charles Chitato, who slotted home from eight yards out with a low shot past Andre Petim.
The goal signalled a change in the pattern of the game as the Zimbabweans visibly gained in confidence and held their own for the remainder of the first half.
Ajax lifted their game for the onset of the second half, doing their best to put pressure on their opponents.
In the 53rd minute Granwald Scott tested Mangoue with a well-struck 20-yard effort, but the keeper pulled off a good save.
Ajax were however struggling to create clear-cut chances and had to rely on a rather fortunate third goal which came in the 59th minute via Brett Evans’ speculative long range effort, which Mangoue allowed to slip through his hands and into the goal.
Khenyeza should have completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute after being set up by Doutie, but he curled his parting shot just inches wide, with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Monomotapa applied pressure in the closing minutes as they looked to try and pull a goal back.
The Ajax defence managed to hold firm, but just seconds before the end of the game Daniel Kamunenga was given space inside the box to turn and pick out the bottom corner of the net to reduce the deficit to a single goal. — Sapa