Ajax Cape Town came back from the dead to keep their PSL dream alive, fighting back from 1-0 down to beat TTM 5-1 yesterday.
The Urban Warriors looked dead and buried at half-time in the must-win clash, but after a 18-minute second-half blitz they live to fight another day.
Coach Calvin Marlin’s manne now need to beat Black Leopards in their final game on Friday and then wait and see if TTM can deny Leopards next Monday to claim promotion to the Premiership.
While that was the scenario Ajax wanted at kickoff, it looked like a pipe dream after TTM’s Thembisani Nevhulamba took advantage of a failed Ajax clearance to finish from a cross in the 11th-minute.
It stayed 1-0 until half time. But whatever Marlin said to his team at the break worked, as they then scored FIVE goals in the next 18 minutes.
Siphesihle Mkhize tapped in on the third attempt after a save from TTM’s goalkeeper, with Ajax’s rebound shot striking the crossbar in the 47th minute.
Veteran ace Eleazar Rodgers then grabbed a quickfire brace with tidy finishes to Cohen Stander’s crosses.
Teenage attacker Chumani Butsaka made it 4-1 when he scored his first senior goal for Ajax on the hour mark, controlling Dale Wakefield’s clipped pass to fire in at the back post.
And Rodgers made it five from the penalty spot in the 65th minute to complete his hattrick five minutes later after a handball by the flailing TTM defence.
Ajax now lead the mini league on goal difference from Leopards, who are level on six points, ahead of Friday’s showdown.