Key clash tonight for Chilli Boys

[caption id="attachment_70668" align="alignright" width="218"] ROGER DE SA -[/caption]

Ajax also desperate to avoid relegation zone

AJAX Cape Town might have been in the top three for much of the season, but recent poor form has seen coach Roger de Sa suggest that they may shortly have to look nervously over their shoulders at Chippa United and the relegation scrap below them.

The Urban Warriors welcome another side in decline tonight when they host Chippa at the Cape Town Stadium, a game that could be crucial for both sides’ top-eight aspirations.

Ajax sit seven points above the relegation zone – so there are no panic stations yet – but with just two wins in their last 13 league matches, they are starting to show relegation form.

“If you ask me what my target is now, it’s to win all the games to the end of the season,” De Sa said. “We will continue trying to do that, but if we are being realistic, and looking at the club in the last few years, then just to have a season without worrying about relegation will also be good.

“It is a crucial game for us. It is one of those that if we win we stay comfortably in the top eight.

“If not . . . we worry about what is below us.”

A tough December that saw the side play six matches in a short space of time did not help the thin squad and De Sa says he feels the team are through their most difficult part of the campaign.

“Our toughest period was in December. To have six games in a matter of weeks . . . there were a lot of tired legs. But we now have a chance to recover and with 10 games to go we have a few [previously injured] guys coming back into the squad.”

Ajax’s form may be wretched, but Chippa have not fared much better and lost to third-tier Natal United in the Nedbank Cup at the weekend.

“We are both in pretty similar form if you look at our last few games, but if you talk about pressure on the coach [Ernst Middendorp], that is always there.”

Ajax have on paper much tougher tasks to come after tonight’s clash as well.

“It’s the round before we go away to Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United next week, so it will be good to get in a performance that will give us confidence for those games.”