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Johannesburg - Ajax Cape Town joined Mamelodi Sundowns at the top of the South African Premiership table after a thrilling 1-0 home victory over fellow title contenders Kaizer Chiefs Friday.
A match featuring continuous end-to-end action was settled after 54 minutes when Brent Carelse converted a penalty in the main match of a championship double-header at Cape Town Stadium.
Sundowns (27 points) remain ahead of Ajax on goal difference while Soweto giants Chiefs (26) and Orlando Pirates (25) are also in hot pursuit of the 1.3-million-dollar first prize as the season reaches the halfway stage.
Many in the 40,000 crowd felt Ajax should have been awarded a penalty late in the first half when Itumeleng Khune wrapped Thulani Serero in a bear hug while Thomas Sweswe cleared a lob off the line but the referee felt otherwise.
Veteran goalkeeper Hans Vonk made a superb one-hand save at the other end soon after to maintain equality, stretching to push a curling Kaizer Motaung shot away for a corner.
Ajax edged ahead when Zimbabwean midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha fouled Serero as he bore down on goal and on-loan Carelse tucked the ball into the corner of the net althoguh Khune dived the right way.
Defending champions SuperSport United ended a five-match win-less streak with a battling 1-0 victory over Vasco da Gama in the first match of the double-header.
A scrappy encounter involving far more pespiration than inspiration was settled by a goal on 12 minutes from Liberia striker and captain Anthony Laffor.
As a lofted ball into the penalty area broke between two Vasco players and one from SuperSport, Laffor latched on to the loose ball and his tame shot found the net off the body of Ugandan goalkeeper Postnet Omony.
Vasco squandered a great chance to equalise later in the half when a mix-up between SuperSport goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez and fullback David Kannemeyer presented Jonathan Armogam with an empty net but he shot wide.
Victory lifted lowly SuperSport two places while promoted Vasco - dismissed pre-season by pundits as relegation certainties -- remained in the top half of the table after a first loss in seven outings.
A dismal run by bottom-of-the-table Mpumalanga Black Aces continued when they lost 1-0 at home to fifth-placed Bloemfontein Celtic in Nelspruit with Zambian midfielder Clifford Mulenga snatching the ninth-minute winner.
