Strugglers Ajax Cape Town face longest winless run in 10 years

Premier Soccer League strugglers Ajax Cape Town face their longest winless run in more than a decade as they prepare to welcome Maritzburg United to the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

The Urban Warriors have not tasted victory in their last nine games in all competitions‚ last claiming success with a 1-0 win over BidVest Wits on the final day of the previous campaign.

It is a run that cost Roger de Sa his job‚ and new head coach Stanley Menzo will understand all too well that he needs to turn their fortunes around fast to avoid being marooned at the foot of the table.

It is the joint-longest winless run for Ajax since they went 12 games without victory between March and September 2006.

Remarkably the final seven matches of that sequence were all draws‚ before they finally managed a 2-1 away success at Black Leopards.

That is the longest winless streak in the club’s 17-year history.

And with an away trip to unhappy hunting ground Platinum Stars and a home tie against Mamelodi Sundowns to come after Maritzburg’s visit‚ it is an unwanted record that is under threat.

Ajax are in somewhat familiar territory‚ though.

Such has been their poor form of late that they also went winless for nine games between September last year and January‚ immediately after winning the MTN8 competition.

Meanwhile‚ Ajax are assessing the injury to key centre-back Rivaldo Coetzee that ruled him out of Tuesday's Bafana Bafana clash with Mozambique after a stellar performance in the 2-1 World Cup qualifier victory over Senegal on Saturday.

Coetzee will be monitored over the coming days to determine his availability for the Maritzburg match.

Better news for Menzo is the return of a number of first team players from injury to bolster his ranks.

Striker Nathan Paulse is back from a fractured cheekbone‚ while winger Lebohang Mokoena‚ playmaker Erwin Issacs‚ and fullbacks Eric Chipeta and Mosa Lebusa‚ should also be available.

Kenya international midfielder Ali Abondo is also close to a return after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Though it might seem just a scrap of comfort‚ Menzo was left pleased with the side’s 6-1 hammering of high-flying National First Division side Stellenbosch FC in a friendly at the weekend‚ a game in which Portuguese striker Jucie Lupeta netted a hat-trick.

“What I was pleased to see is Jucie’s eagerness to score goals‚ to go forward‚” said Menzo.

“Obviously there are things to improve on‚ but one thing about a striker is that you have to be eager to score goals.

“Neo [Makua] did well‚ first time I actually saw him playing so yes – give the players in the starting line-up competition.

"We need competition in this team so that we improve each other and the moment someone has an off day‚ we can bring other players in and the level will remain high.”

AJAX’S LONGEST WINLESS RUNS IN THE PSL

12 matches - 12/3/06 to 20/9/06

9 matches* - 23/8/16 to 2/11/16

9 matches - 23/9/15 to 13/1/16

*On-going - TMG Digital