Ajax look ahead to Arrows showdownAjax Cape Town coach Muhsin Ertugral, will have to bring his victorious players back to earth after they reached the MTN8 final by disposing of Kaizer Chiefs 4-3 on aggregate after a six goal semifinal, second leg thriller that ended 3-3 at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.
Ertugral has to get his players' minds back onto their Absa Premiership campaign. They play Santos in a Cape Town derby at Newlands on Wednesday night.
Said Ertugral: "I had a problem when we drew 1-1 with Free State Stars [away] last Wednesday as the players' minds were obviously on this match, But we need to pick up points and forget about the Cup final at this stage."
Ertugral has now reached back-to-back MTN8 finals. He guided Chiefs to triumph in last year's final against Mamelodi Sundowns and is hoping to repeat that with his new club when they meet Golden Arrows in the final on September 26.
The Urban Warriors coach has suggested that Port Elizabeth or Bloemfontein would be his preferred venues for the final.
"The venue is important. PE is at sea level and means it would not favour either Arrows [who are from Durban] or ourselves. But I would have no problem in playing in Bloemfontein."
Premier Soccer League media manager Altaaf Kazi, said the league would announce the venue in due course. After both coaches, Ertugral and Amakhosi's Vladimir Vermezovic, congratulated each other, it was obvious Ertugral's knowledge of Chiefs players' weaknesses and strengths played a key role in helping the underdogs overcome Chiefs in front of 40 000 supporters who packed into the revamped Orlando Stadium hoping to see Ertugral and his players leave empty handed.
Said Ertugral: "It was a great game. We made two bad mistakes in the first half that allowed Chiefs to score and let them back into the game when we should have closed the door tight.
"But I am proud of my boys. We have a young side and showed we have tons of character to beat Chiefs.
"It was not easy in front of a packed Orlando Stadium. Chiefs are going to be a force this season as we saw that today and I think their coach [Vermezovic] is top class and does not get the credit he deserves."
After the controversy surrounding the first leg at Newlands in which Chiefs fans went on the rampage when Amakhosi were beaten 1-0, the second leg was a tremendous advert for the local game.
Six goals tell the story of a match that flowed from end to end with plenty of good football and inevitable mistakes.
source: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-08-24-ajax-look-ahead-to-arrows-showdown
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Thanks for looking at the Great North Again. I was starting to think that is why we are so supposed to be coping with the status quo from this side of the world. I have red with great delight that the Information Centre for 2010 World Cup will be built here. This is the step in the right direction. Least we be carried away the Great North is too far from each other and thus many people are still left out. Its more like leaving in another country in your own country. People in the rurals are still hard hit albeit most of the big wigs were born in these regions. Cyril Ramaphosa and those very close to him have some type ofhistorical roots around the great north. Guys like Mbazima Shilowa, Tito Mboweni and Terror Sholowa just to name a few blacks have something that links them to these regions. No doubt many more places are still left out not just sports but human development in general. You do not want a situation where if our next National President will be from Musina and all development will only take place in that region untill he bows out. Yes this is not the forum but we come to love soccer as it takes us away from our fears of such thinking.
Anyway we are on the right path, no village must be left behind. All villas must be embraced to enjoy this event.