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Cape Town - He might not have been picked to start matches in recent times, but Ruzaigh Gamildien certainly showed his value on Friday night as his first half strike earned hosts Ajax Cape Town a 1-0 Absa Premiership win over Golden Arrows.
Arrows enjoyed a spell of constant pressure on the Ajax backline and came close to the opening goal in the 15th minute when Mwape Musonda pounced following a corner kick, but Anssi Jaakkola kept Ajax in the game.
The game, played on a stunning Cape Town Stadium pitch, slowed down a bit thereafter as both sides battled to keep hold of the ball and build up genuine attacking passages of play.
Then Toriq Losper put an effort just wide of goal and after that the home side did take the lead through Ruzaigh Gamildien with a left footed shot from a corner kick taken by Riyad Norodien.
On the stroke of half-time, Nkanysio Mngwengwe headed over the bar from Kuda Mahachi's cross.
Ajax exerted some attacking pressure early in the second half as Norodien saw his shot blocked before Erwin Isaacs nearly caught goalkeeper Mbaeva off guard, but he managed to palm away the shot in the 58th minute.
Arrows coach Clinton Larsen introduced Mabhuti Khenyeza and Mahlatsi Makudubela on the hour mark and the pair added some value right away.
But Nkanyiso Mngwengwe saw his shot go just wide of goal in the 63rd minute.
Ajax coach Roger de Sa made some changes in the second half and one of them, Nathan Paulse on for Prince Nxumalo, was always going to change things up a little. In the 75th minute Paulse put a shot over the crossbar.
Then Erwin Isaacs saw his shot fly over the bar in the 88th minute before substitute Bantu Mzwakali went down too easily under a challenge and should have done better with an attempt in injury time.
For Arrows, Mabhuti Khenyeza missed a good chance right at the death as the game ended 1-0 to Ajax.
