Matchday 24 - Report
Ajax Cape Town 5 - Thanda Royal Zulu 2
CAPE TOWN, April 23 (Absa Premier League) ˆ Mabhudi Khenyeza scored a hat-trick for Ajax Cape Town on Thursday to increase the Absa Premier League relegation woes on Thanda Royal Zulu with a crushing victory at Newlands.
After handing the Urban Warriors a 1-0 half-time lead, the South Africa striker doubled the advantage shortly after the break, before Thulani Serero made it 3-0.
James Madidilani was then sent off with 17 minutes to play, but July Mahlangu still managed to pull a goal back for the visitors.
However, further strikes from Serero and Khenyeza made it 5-1, with Peter Ndlovu turning in a second for the Amabhubesi to give the scoreline some respectability.
It was a shattering result for Thanda, though, especially after entering the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns.
They were in trouble from the outset with Dipsy Selolwane almost turning in Franklyn Cale‚s corner in the opening 10 minutes.
Our boys struggled to get into gear with their only real sights of goal during the opening half coming courtesy of long-range efforts from Clement Mazibuko and Sibusiso Hadebe.
And the hosts took the lead in the 40th minute ˆ Sameegh Doutie the architect of the goal after his trickery down the left led to a pin-point pass that was met by the head of Khenyeza from 12-yards out.
That strike gave Craig Rosslee‚s men a well-deserved half-time lead, which was doubled five minutes into the second period when the same two players combined, this time Doutie‚s arrowed pass across the face of the goal was neatly met at the back post giving Aubrey Mathibe no chance in the Thanda goal.
Six minutes later, Serero got in on the act when Doutie‚s corner came to him just outside the box and the midfielder smashed home a cracking right-footed finish.
Mlungisi Ngubane‚s team finally managed to test Andre Petim in the Ajax goal when Clifford Mulenga turned sharply on the edge of the area and sent in a powerful strike that was parried away by the home goalkeeper.
In the 72nd minute, Madidilani was dismissed for violent conduct, but that did not stop his side from pulling a goal back.
It came from the hard-working midfielder, who blasted in from the right side of penalty area, before Serero restored the three goal advantage when he picked up on Granwald Scott's pass from the right.
Khenyeza made it 5-1 with arguably the pick of the goals in injury time ˆ a belted shot from almost 30-yards out that left the visiting defenders stunned.
Ndlovu then headed home Mulenga‚s cross as Thanda fell to their 17th loss of the season that could now see them overtaken by Bloemfontein Celtic who have a game in hand.