Zim exports pivotal in SA Premiership destiny

coaches have found themselves very much in the mix as they play key roles in their bid to help their respective clubs to the championship title.
Giants Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and youthful outfit Ajax Cape Town are very much in the reckoning for the Absa Premiership title with Pirates leading the log standings.
But with at least four matches left before most of the teams wind up their 2010-11 league programme, the title race has narrowed down to an interesting phase where form and consistency will play key roles and Zimbabwean internationals at Ajax Cape Town, Sundowns and Chiefs have found themselves more under the spotlight in that chase.
An intense battle for survival is also on at the bottom end of the standings.
Although Pirates have a Zimbabwean Zvenyika Makonese on their books, the former Warriors vice-captain, bogged down by social problems, has somehow lost his way in the South African Premiership and has rarely featured in the Buccaneers’ Premiership campaign.
Makonese’s future with Pirates actually hangs in the balance with the Soweto giants highly unlikely to renew his contract when it expires on June 30 given that by the end of 2010 the former Santos centre back had only made 17 starts for the club.
While it might be all gloomy for Makonese it is looking good for his compatriots at second-placed Ajax Cape Town.
Ajax have former Warriors striker Wilfred Mugeyi as assistant to Dutch coach Fope de Haan while the midfield trio of Willard Katsande, Tafadzwa Rusike and Khama Billiat are on the players list.
Sundowns are served by acting coach Ian Gorowa and the quartet of skipper Esrom Nyandoro, Method Mwanjali, Lionel Mtizwa and Nyasha Mushekwi.
Chiefs also have another Warriors quartet of Tinashe Nengomasha, Zhaimu Jambo, Thomas Sweswe and Knowledge Musona.
After a two-week international break, the South African Premiership resumed on Wednesday night with a full programme of matches.
But at the end of Wednesday night’s programme it was probably Gorowa and his troops at Sundowns who had more reason to smile after they battled from 4-1 down to force a share of the spoils with Ajax Cape Town in Pretoria.
That point meant Sundowns remained in the hunt but served to hand a slight advantage to Pirates who beat Moroka Swallows 2-0 to reclaim top spot.
While the spotlight on the international game on Wednesday night may have fallen on the European Champions League with Manchester United ending a nine-year wait to win at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 triumph over Chelsea and Barcelona firmly putting a foot into the semi-finals with a 5-1 thrashing of Shaktar Donesk, a lot was also happening south of the Limpopo.
An upbeat Gorowa later told the media in South Africa that he believed Sundowns’ dramatic comeback to snatch a 4-4 draw against Ajax Cape Town will give his team a psychological advantage over their title rivals.
The caretaker coach saw the Brazilians turn around a three-goal deficit to deny de Haan’s men maximum points in a thrilling home clash.
And with just four games remaining in the race to be crowned champions, Gorowa thinks the Urban Warriors may have blown their chances.
The Brazilians remain in third position with 51 points, two points behind Orlando Pirates and Ajax, who share top spot, with Bucs leading on goal-difference.
“I think psychologically it might affect them. I think Ajax have thrown it away to be honest,” Gorowa told Football365.co.za.
“They didn’t know how to defend against so many players attacking them and perhaps they could have been wiser at the back. We were prepared for this game and we knew we could expose Ajax at the back because they are very slow.
“We can get stronger after this result and believe that anything can happen. There’s very few teams who could come back from 4-1 down – most would have packed their bags and left. We kept digging in and got rewarded for that.”
The draw meant that Orlando Pirates leapfrogged both sides to go back to the top of the table.
Ajax remain level on points and with three matches still to come at home, they will still be confident of claiming their first-ever title.
However, de Haan admitted that three points against Sundowns could have virtually ensured the new championship trophy was on its way to the Mother City.
“If we had won then I think we were gone. But we have three home games left and away against Chiefs and perhaps that will be the crucial one?
“We will see but I think we can do it. We can play a lot better than we did against Sundowns and I think we are the best team in the league,” said de Haan.
Pirates’ coach Ruud Krol also reckoned that goal difference could prove decisive in the title race with the Dutchman sensing a repeat of the 2008/09 scenario when SuperSport United piped them for the title with a six-goal difference.
However, it was Chiefs who fell further behind after cantering to their fifth successive league draw when being restricted to a 1-1 deadlock by Bidvest Wits.
Despite being in fourth place and having dropped another vital two points, Chiefs centre back Sweswe yesterday insisted that Amakhosi were not giving up on the title chase just yet.
Sweswe, speaking from his base in Johannesburg noted that Chiefs had an extra game in hand from which a win could bring them to within just three points from the leading pair of Pirates and Ajax.
“We are still very much in it. We just have to win our game in hand against SuperSport United and we would be three points behind the leaders and you never what will happen in the final four games.
“If we can avoid defeat and win our last five games we could just win. We will also play Ajax at home in our penultimate match and that is going to be a big one.
“I think if we are to win the title, the match against Ajax might just be one game that will bring us the championship because when we played them in Cape Town we were unlucky to lose but it is still rated as one of our best games this season,” Sweswe said.
The former Dynamos and Mwana Africa man also urged his side to brace for even tougher matches in the final run in.
“There is a tendency by teams here to raise their game whenever they are playing Kaizer Chiefs and even though SuperSport might be struggling, they are likely to come stronger at us so there will be no easy games for us.
“Others are fighting relegation and some are in the title race,” Sweswe said.
Sweswe also welcomed the return to training of fellow Zimbabwean internationals Musona and Jambo, which he felt would boost their late surge on the championship.
He particularly welcomed the availability of Musona, who is fit again after sustaining a shoulder injury in a game against Free State Stars.
“Knowledge’s return should give us a cutting edge, we have been missing a number of chances which I know he would normally put away and I am sure he comes back even hungrier to score more goals and finish among the top goal scorers,” Sweswe said.
Whether the Absa title heads to the Mother City with Ajax, is snatched by Chiefs or is taken by Sundowns, there is certain to be a Zimbabwean flavour on the medals’ podium.