Ajax Cape Town coach Roger de Sa has warned his players Mpumalanga Black Aces will prove difficult to beat tonight when they host the high flying team at the Athlone Stadium (7.30pm).

Ajax go into the match on a high after upsetting SuperSport United 3-1 away in their last league game on Sunday, but De Sa has told his charges not to be too confident.

"Aces are very difficult to beat. They look extremely well-organised at the back and difficult to break down. Their defence is strong and their goalkeeper [Shu-Aib Walters] has come out of nowhere," said De Sa, referring to Walters' emerging as the first choice at Aces and, in the process, keeping Bafana squad member Jackson Mabokgwane on the bench.

"They play with speedy wingers and our boy Lebogang Manyama [formerly with Ajax] has found something with [Collins] Mbesuma, who is an intelligent footballer and a very good finisher. Muhsin [Ertugral] has got him fired up again. Already 11 goals in half a season when before we haven't even seen 11 goals from one player in a full season. He is something special."

New Ghanaian defender Lawrence Lartey will have the task of trying to keep Mbesuma in check tonight. "Lartey has got better with each passing game," said De Sa.

But he is still concerned over the club's inconsistency. "Sometimes we play well and we don't get anything out of it and other games we play well and win. We've been blowing hot and cold as individuals and we've got to try and get individual consistency and the collective will then come from that.

"We are still there and thereabouts. If we had two to three wins in a row that would put us in the top six, but two or three successive loses means we'd drop into a dangerous area.

"We don't want to be looking over our shoulder and we need to get out of the pack," he added.

Aces played out two goalless draws in their last two matches, against Jomo Cosmos [away] and Bloemfontein Celtic [home], dropping vital points in the title race.