Ajax record first win of the season against Polokwane City in Cape Town

Ajax Cape Town calmed their early season jitters with a 2-0 Premier Soccer League victory over Polokwane City at a wet and windy Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.

Ajax striker Prince Nxumalo provided both goals, the first after a howler from City goalkeeper George Chigova in what was a poor quality game best forgotten by the smattering of fans who braved the elements to attend.

The conditions contributed to the dull encounter, but so did the lack of quality on either side and it looks to be a long season of struggle for both clubs, though the Urban Warriors have at least picked up three points at the fourth time of asking.

Ajax coach Stanley Menzo made three changes from the side that lost 1-0 at Orlando Pirates in midweek, one of those injury-enforced.Rheece Evans was preferred to Erwin Isaacs at right-back, while Nxumalo started up front in the place of Tashreeq Morris.

The loss of Grant Margeman to injury was a blow, with Innocent Nemukondeni taking his place in the team.City also made three changes from the team that lost 2-1 at home to Bloemfontein Celtic on Tuesday, with Thabang Klaas, Vusi Mngomezulu and Diala Manaka replaced by Mogau Tshehla, Mogamat Jacobs and Walter Musona.

For the 28-year-old Jacobs it was a first appearance in over 18 months after a horrific car accident in March 2016 had left his career in serious jeopardy.

The first half produced little in the way of goal-mouth action, though Nemukondeni did force a comfortable save from Chigova.

The best chance of the half fell to City’s Zimbabwean forward Walter Musona, who found himself one-on-one with Ajax keeper Brandon Petersen, but appeared undecided whether to shoot or play in a teammate and in the end produced a tame shot that drifted wide.

It was as dull a 45 minutes of football as you are likely to find in this season’s PSL.Ajax handed a debut to Nigerian winger Ejike Uzoenyi when he came off the bench 10 minutes into the second period, but still the teams found to difficult to create clear-cut chances.

It always looked likely that any goal on the night would come from an individual error rather than good play and so it proved for Ajax.

With 20 minutes remaining, Uzoenyi’s cross from deep was dropped in the wet conditions by Chigova and Nxumalo pounced to head the loose ball into the net to open his account for the season in what was his first start.

After Sammy Seabi had fluffed an excellent chance to equalise when he blazed over, Nxumalo made the points save, this time with a fine leap from Rodrick Kabwe’s cross.

 - TimesLIVE