Ajax win Cape Town derby

Cape Town - Ajax Cape Town ran out 3-2 winners over Chippa United in a drama-filled Absa Premiership game at Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.

The game lacked quality but in front of a lively crowd of around 6 000 people, entertainment, drama, and regular mistakes from both sides were not in short supply.

In the end it was a lack of composure that cost Chippa as they made far too many mistakes on the night.

The Chilli Boys started the game with an unchanged line-up from their last game which they won 2-1 against Platinum Stars.

The Philippi side had the first proper chance of the game as Andile Mbenyane exchanged a neat one-two with Welcome Qalanto, but the former was unable to slot the ball past Sander Westerveld who made a good block.

Ajax then began to push and probe in the midfield, but struggled to break down a well organised Chippa defence.

But a lapse of concentration at the back proved costly as Khama Billiat was left with a relatively straightforward task in beating Daouda Kassally at the near post after 17 minutes.

But the Chilli Boys, under Farouk Abrahams, hit back within 60 seconds as Qalanto nipped in to bundle home a cross.

The Urban Warriors should have been in front on 28 minutes but after a free-kick deflected to Billiat, he hit the post from eight yards out.

Larry Cohen had scored against Stars on Tuesday and he was to make it two from two in the 33rd minute when he punished Ajax with a well-timed volley after they failed to clear a corner kick properly, giving his side a 2-1 lead.

Sindiso Nqothani was gifted a chance for the away team three minutes before the break when a stray pass located him on the edge of the box, but his shot flew just over.

Just two minutes after the restart and the Urban Warriors were back in the game when Thulani Hlatshwayo beat Kassally to the ball and headed it across the goal line where Musa Lebuso nodded the ball in to the goal.

The team in red and white continued to dominate as Billiat went close.

On 62 minutes, Ajax were ahead 3-2 when Kassally tried to dribble the ball out of his own box but was dispossessed by Billiat, who teed up Brazilian Wanderson to chip the ball over the keeper and into an empty goal.

Chippa nearly levelled the game two minutes later when a mistake in midfield led to Mbenyane going for an audacious chip from 35-yards which rattled the crossbar and came back into play.

A strong run on 80 minutes from Mkhanyiseli Siwahala then set up Diego Brown, but he shot wide as the pace remained relentless.

The Chilli Boys continued to press for an equaliser, but despite the impetus created by Brown down the left flank, they could not find a way back.