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Maritzburg United out to make amends

Mohammed Anas of United and Siyanda Xulu of Chiefs during the 2015 MTN8 quarter final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Maritzburg United at FNB Stadium. Picture credits: Gallo Images
Mohammed Anas of United and Siyanda Xulu of Chiefs during the 2015 MTN8 quarter final match between Kaizer Chiefs and Maritzburg United at FNB Stadium. Picture credits: Gallo Images

If Maritzburg United coach Mandla Ncikazi had hair, the goalless draw against Jomo Cosmos would have seen him methodically remove each strand.

That is how frustrated he was with Ezenkosi and their refusal to play any meaningful football in their opening PSL encounter on August 10. The Team of Choice were also guilty of spurning the chances that came their way, but they have an opportunity to rectify their goal-scoring shortcomings this weekend. Ncikazi is excited by Ajax Cape Town's attacking enterprise and hopes it will open up more goal-scoring opportunities for his team.

Ajax are Ncikazi's next PSL assignment on Saturday in Cape Town. The Urban Warriors' formidable home record precedes them as they only lost one home game all season, which was to defending league champions Kaizer Chiefs. But their league campaign got off to an indifferent start this season with a loss to Bidvest Wits in Johannesburg, whom they are engaged with in a two-legged MTN8 semifinal tie. "I've never seen Ajax Cape Town play like Cosmos. I've never seen Roger de Sa-coached teams sit at the back and wait for teams to come to them. That's never been Ajax's philosophy and that will make for an interesting clash on Saturday," Ncikazi said.

"We're not going to park the bus

we are going to respect how we use the ball. Ajax have some young but serious good players and they're a team who can perform. Playing in Cape Town has never been easy, especially with Ajax doing very well. "They haven't won a league match so far this year and that will make them very dangerous." While he is still trying to fine-tune tactics that will navigate them through the season, Ncikazi still has the headache of having to sort out work permits for Brian Onyango and Evans Rusike.

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