Santos well placed for strong bid

Santos have emphatically muscled their way into the top eight from a precarious position and now talk of a come-from-behind Absa Premiership success is doing the rounds on the Cape Flats.

Currently eight points off the pace set by leaders Ajax Cape Town, but with a game in hand, Santos are indeed well placed to make a strong run for the coveted title.

Skipper Musa Otieno has been there before and knows how to pace a league campaign to perfection. The towering defender was one of the stars of a golden era when Santos lifted the league trophy, the BobSave Superbowl, the BP Top Eight and the Absa Cup.

He warned on Thursday about the need to stay calm and not allow heads to swell following four wins in as many successive outings.

However, Santos are odds-on favourites to bag another three points in their quest to hit the summit when they take on Golden Arrows at Athlone Stadium on Saturday (kickoff: 8pm).

The unfashionable visitors rank among the best exponents of the short-passing game, but they will run out against the Cape side's newest style of play which entails blanket defending in both defence and midfield.

Eleazar Rodgers makes sense of the ploy with his penchant to chase lost causes as a lone striker and his uncanny knack to score from acute angles.

"We're enjoying a great run, but that's not unique," Otieno said. "We've seen how quickly a team can slide down the ladder after a few poor outings, so it's time to keep cool heads and take it one game at a time.

"Arrows are unpredictable in the sense that they can easily turn from a short-passing game into a more direct style of play, so we have to be vigilant. I am sure the coach will come up with a plan to counter what they have to offer."

Otieno is the epitome of healthy living and physical fitness. Few 34-year-olds would accept the task of manning the midfield in an era when football is more about speed and power than skill.

But David Bright wants defensive assurance behind his playmakers, so who better than the former Kenya international to keep things tight in the engine room. "I don't question selections or tactics. I will play anywhere on the field, even in goal, if that's what the coach wants," the stalwart defender said.

Arrows are dogged opponents, though, and will push forward without fear. They bank mostly on Papi Zothswane's ability to play off the front men coupled with his composed finishing.

In Johannesburg tonight, Ajax's title charge comes under further scrutiny in a crucial clash with Wits University.

The home team lost to Santos at Athlone in midweek, but it's different at Milpark, where the Clever Boys have not dropped many points this season.

Craig Rosslee was not a happy man after the Urban Warriors had surrendered a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 to second-placed SuperSport United on Tuesday. Ajax defended "like schoolboys" to throw away the three points on offer, and their coach has vowed to "sort out the defensive lines" before tackling Wits.

The question on everyone's lips is whether Ajax can sustain their challenge for the whopping R10 million first prize or crumble under the weight of the chasing pack. It's about taking points off those in with a chance of lifting the crown - and Wits do count among them.