Ajax Cape Town have to patch up their midfield for Saturday’s clash against Kaizer Chiefs as two key elements will be missing for the match at the Athlone Stadium.

Captain Travis Graham is suspended and new starlet Grant Margeman is away with Amajita for the African Youth Championship in Zambia.

“Travis was not very smart to get another yellow card for talking‚” said coach Stanley Menzo of Ajax’s last game at the weekend away at Polokwane City.

“Both of them are a big loss.”

It means a reshuffle that could see Roscoe Pietersen moved from centre back to a defensive midfielder role while Ndiviwe Mdabuka could return from injury alongside him.

But Menzo suggested Erwin Isaacs and new Zambian signing Roderick Kabwe could also be played out of position in the defensive midfield holding role.

“We have to have that block in front of the defence and we’ll see who does it the best in training.

"We’ll see who has the best mental quality and they will play because that is the area where Chiefs are dangerous.”
Menzo said Saturday night’s game was one he and his players were looking forward to.

“The good thing about playing Chiefs is they are not one of those teams who lets us play and then waits to catch us on the counter.

"Chiefs are a team that likes to play‚ likes to have the ball and gives space away.

"We are the same so it will be more of a football game than a tactical game in terms of waiting for mistakes and then countering.

“It’s also interesting for us to play against one of the top teams on the log‚ to see how we do against good players and a good team who are on a good run.

"Let’s see if we are able to disturb their way of playing.

"But we must also try to play our own game and if we do so then we’ll have more possibilities‚” added Menzo.

Ajax have picked up just one point from their last three games and sit in 11th place in the Premier Soccer League
but were buoyed by an away draw last Saturday.

“I think we had a good game against Polokwane City where the weather helped us.

"It wasn’t too hot and I think we played a good first half‚ creating chances and dominating but only got one goal.

"They got an equaliser at a time when we were down to 10 men because Rheece Evans was out injured. That was a pity.” - TMG Digital