Ajax Cape Town want to secure a top-eight finish in the Absa Premiership and beating the University of Pretoria in the League at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday night is top of mind.
The two sides kick off at 8pm.
Ajax coach Roger de Sa believes a positive result against AmaTuks will help the Mother City team secure their top-eight ambitions.
“We are back to the league now and against a team we haven’t had the best results against, we’re aware of that. We have two important league games – if we can get full points from that, it almost guarantees us a top-eight spot – I believe 40 points will guarantee a top-eight finish,” De Sa says.
“We haven’t done well against Tuks, and then after that we go to the Free State, which is a very, very difficult task as well. Two massive challenges ahead to overcome.
“For me, Tuks are a little defensive. They’ll play with a 4-4-2, with Massa up front – he’s the runner, he’ll try and hold the ball up for them. They are a hard-running team, and very disciplined.
“Their back four don’t venture forward, they sit deep. The two midfielders also sit and wait. That’s the way they play, the percentage game, and it’s worked for them.”
Good news for Ajax is that Aiden Jenniker, Toriq Losper and Cecil Lolo all came through training games this week and De Sa has a fully fit squad to work with.
University of Pretoria saw their winless run in the league extended to four matches when they lost 1-0 at home to Kaizer Chiefs in midweek.
Tuks’ Ugandan international forward, Geofrey Massa, believes the challenge that Ajax present in the Mother City will be a tough hurdle to overcome.
"It is a really tough one. We were really disappointed that we couldn't get at least a point against Chiefs recently. We are travelling now to Cape Town, it will be very tough," Massa says.
“They are on top of their game and it will be difficult. Even though we beat them here [in Pretoria], it doesn't matter now. It is a new game. We have to improve in our defending and we have to be clinical in front of goal.
“We would have won the game against Chiefs if we were clinical, because we had two or three chances in the opening minutes, it was just one of those days I guess."
Ajax have won 25 points from 12 home matches this season. After Tuks, their next three league opponents are Free State Stars, Maritzburg United and Bloemfontein Celtic (all away).
The Urban Warriors are placed seventh on the Absa Premiership log with 34 points from 24 matches while AmaTuks are 10th on the table with 30 points from 25 matches.
In head-to-head stats, Ajax and Tuks have met in five league matches since 2012/13. The Pretoria side boasts an unbeaten record in the sequence, with two wins and three draws.
Ajax’s two previous home matches against Tuks have produced a 5-1 defeat in 2012/13 and a goalless draw in 2013/14. When the teams met earlier this season, AmaTuks claimed a 3-0 home win in Tshwane in November.
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