Moroka Swallows face Ajax Cape Town in MTN8
Birds get chance for redemption
Posted: 2010-09-10 12:10
Moroka Swallows have the chance to take revenge for a midweek PSL defeat to Ajax Cape Town when the clubs do battle in an MTN8 Cup semi-final first leg encounter at Athlone on Sunday.
The game pits two veteran Western European coaches against each other: Ajax's Foppe de Haan tests his tactical nous against Swallows' Rainer Zobel, a former European Champions League winner as a player.
The Cape side can take confidence from their 3-2 midweek Premiership victory over Swallows, who can at least take heart from the fact that they beat league champions SuperSport at the quarter-final stage.
On Wednesday, Swallows showed themselves to be a superior team as far as muscle power was concerned, meaning that they will pose a threat in the air to Ajax, who can thus ill afford to give away too many free kicks or corners.
De Haan says, however, that his side are naturally disciplined and is not too concerned.
"Discipline is always important. Our quality is to play as a team and my approach is always that the players must know what their task is, what their position is, what they have to do on the field.
"When we have the ball we have to play in the opposition half – we have to play on a 'small field', while the defence must be alert at all times."
The Holland-born coach will be hoping that Brett Evans passes a late fitness test. He also admits he may be tempted to make a couple of changes to the starting XI to keep Zobel guessing.
"I may change the team a little bit, but not too much – if we look at last season and then this season, now we have the possibility to make changes – this enables me to make a surprise, I hope, against Swallows."
Ajax's main danger-men will again be Terror Fanteni and Thulani Serero, who both scored in the 3-2 win and have all the makings of a top class strike partnership.
Zobel, meanwhile, will be demanding more from his first choice strikers, Siyabonga Nomvete and Auguston Leonard.
He also wants his players to show more heart.
"I was upset by the nature of the defeat to Ajax, not by the actual score-line. We didn't show enough fight.
"I believe though that we are good enough to beat Ajax – we did show some positive play in midweek and I will be working hard to ensure the players are in the right mental state.
"This will be key; they need to believe that they can beat Ajax," says Zobel.
The German coach will be without influential centre back Thomas Cichon, who was red-carded on Wednesday.
Although Zobel says that Swallows 'have a big enough squad to cope', Cichon's leadership and organisational qualities could be missed.
The match kicks off at 15h00.
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