CAPE TOWN, April 22 (Absa Premier League) – Thanda Royal Zulu head into their Absa Premier League clash against Ajax Cape Town on Thursday in a much better position thanks to the poor results of their fellow relegation candidates over the past week.
After beating Mamelodi Sundowns in their last game, the Amabhubesi (29 points) saw slip-ups from Bloemfontein Celtic (27) and Maritzburg United (31), who drew with Santos and lost to Platinum Stars respectively.
That has left new coach Mlungisi Ngubane in a much more positive frame of mind with three games still to play.
“Everything is going well and hopefully the players will display the same performance as they did against Sundowns,” said Roger Palmgren’s successor.
“I knew that if we won that game would give us great confidence going forward.”
With games against Stars and Maritzburg still to come, Thanda are now in total control of their own destiny and Ngubane is hoping that they can take another giant step towards safety against the their free-falling Cape rivals.
“What is important is to guide the team away from relegation,” he continued. “Our win against Sundowns has boosted our confidence but we have to guard ourselves against being over confident against Ajax.”
Our boys will be boosted for the game at Newlands following the return from suspension of Clifford Mulenga and Bongani Mbele.
Ajax meanwhile have been on a downward run ever since the turn of the new year, when they considered strong contenders for the league title.
They are currently in eighth place, but captain Brett Evans is not too concerned and is confident they can secure enough points in their last four games to secure a top-eight finish.
He said: “There is no need for us to panic or to be worried about out position. I think we will make it as the advantage of playing at home is on our side. It's definitely a realistic goal and we'll work hard for it.”
The Urban Warriors have lost several players during the season through overseas transfers, but Evans insists that manager Craig Rosslee has sufficient back-up in the team.
And he is confident that Ajax, who have already won the Telkom Knockout this season, can claim a second trophy in the form of the Nedbank Cup, a competition they have already secured a last-four place in.
He added: “There are youngsters that came up and had to adapt and new combinations had to be built. It's not been easy and I think we did well, and can still do better.
“We've won one tournament and we're in the semi-final of another so we have not let ourselves down.”