Ajax Cape Town coach Stanley Menzo says all the pressure is on Orlando Pirates heading into Wednesday’s Absa Premiership clash at the Orlando Stadium.
Ajax have overcome a dismal first three quarters of the campaign to shoot to eighth and in contention to qualify for the potentially lucrative MTN8 next season.
They are three points ahead of 10th-placed Orlando Pirates‚ and have a superior goal-difference‚ with victory a must for The Buccaneers with two rounds remaining if they want to complete a top half finish.
Menzo says that while the top eight is an expectation for Pirates‚ for his team it would be a bonus in a campaign that saw them take 10 games to register a first win in the Premiership.
“It’s more of a ‘cup final’ for them than for us‚” Menzo said.
“They 'have' to [make the top eight] and we 'want' to‚ and we will go there and try to save our top eight position. It is up to them to see what they can do.
“We play away and we don’t have to make [the running in] the game. We will see what they do and try then to do our own thing.”
Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic was a third victory in a row for Ajax and Menzo says the spirit and the belief that was missing from the side earlier in the campaign has returned.
“The spirit has come back suddenly‚ sometimes you need some luck for that and then it is there. The belief and the energy is there.
"You are always looking for challenges and maybe for us the next challenge is to make it four wins in a row‚ then the top eight position is OK.
“It was a brilliant first half from us [against Celtic] with two fantastic goals. We did well in controlling the game and played the way we wanted to play.
“Second half we knew it would be difficult‚ we couldn’t kill the game. If I’m honest‚ the second half was more for them than for us.”
Ajax will be without winger Mark Mayambela‚ who was booked as he loped off the field in disappointment at being substituted against Celtic‚ a fourth yellow card of the campaign that triggers a suspension.
The irony is that Menzo believes Mayambela was playing within himself to avoid a booking in the game and that was why he took him off.
“I don’t understand this attitude‚ I don’t know where it comes from‚” Menzo said.
“He was not in the game because he was afraid for the yellow card and as a coach you have to make decisions. But his attitude coming off the pitch was wrong.” - TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Ajax Cape Town coach Menzo wants to bury Pirates’ top eight hopes
Ajax Cape Town coach Stanley Menzo says all the pressure is on Orlando Pirates heading into Wednesday’s Absa Premiership clash at the Orlando Stadium.
Ajax have overcome a dismal first three quarters of the campaign to shoot to eighth and in contention to qualify for the potentially lucrative MTN8 next season.
They are three points ahead of 10th-placed Orlando Pirates‚ and have a superior goal-difference‚ with victory a must for The Buccaneers with two rounds remaining if they want to complete a top half finish.
Menzo says that while the top eight is an expectation for Pirates‚ for his team it would be a bonus in a campaign that saw them take 10 games to register a first win in the Premiership.
“It’s more of a ‘cup final’ for them than for us‚” Menzo said.
“They 'have' to [make the top eight] and we 'want' to‚ and we will go there and try to save our top eight position. It is up to them to see what they can do.
“We play away and we don’t have to make [the running in] the game. We will see what they do and try then to do our own thing.”
Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic was a third victory in a row for Ajax and Menzo says the spirit and the belief that was missing from the side earlier in the campaign has returned.
“The spirit has come back suddenly‚ sometimes you need some luck for that and then it is there. The belief and the energy is there.
"You are always looking for challenges and maybe for us the next challenge is to make it four wins in a row‚ then the top eight position is OK.
“It was a brilliant first half from us [against Celtic] with two fantastic goals. We did well in controlling the game and played the way we wanted to play.
“Second half we knew it would be difficult‚ we couldn’t kill the game. If I’m honest‚ the second half was more for them than for us.”
Ajax will be without winger Mark Mayambela‚ who was booked as he loped off the field in disappointment at being substituted against Celtic‚ a fourth yellow card of the campaign that triggers a suspension.
The irony is that Menzo believes Mayambela was playing within himself to avoid a booking in the game and that was why he took him off.
“I don’t understand this attitude‚ I don’t know where it comes from‚” Menzo said.
“He was not in the game because he was afraid for the yellow card and as a coach you have to make decisions. But his attitude coming off the pitch was wrong.” - TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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