Ajax’s top eight hopes are on the line, but for opponents Baroka, a spot in top-flight football is at stake as they prepare for their must-win clash at Cape Town Stadium.
And the Urban Warriors coach is well aware of what to expect from Bakgaga tomorrow.
“A fight,” he replied. “I saw videos of them: they’re a team that plays for 90 minutes and more. They run and fight, and only stop when the final whistle blows – and even then they still go on. It’s a team that’s very direct, playing for the second ball, with good overlapping wing-backs. And they’ve got runners – nowadays that’s a very important part of football, people who make good runs, and this is what we are expecting – a tough game, a fight.”
Despite the expected physical battle, Menzo insist he won’t change his side’s style of football for the match, sticking to what has worked for the Cape club over their recent four-match unbeaten run.
“If we play their game, we will lose it,” Menzo said. “Our strength is to play football. To change that now, I’d have to change my whole team and the mentality. We don’t have those players, the players like they have: 11 warriors. We have warriors, but not that kind.”
Ajax will be without injured defender Rivaldo Coetzee, who is suffering from a hamstring strain, as they host their visitors in the Mother City, with kick-off set for 3pm.