Seeing Maritzburg United to the Motsepe Foundation Championship has brought the biggest joy to Cape Town Spurs captain Clayton Daniels on two fronts.
He said he will never forget Maritzburg for messing up what would have been the biggest achievements in the 2010/11 season when they were neck and neck with Orlando Pirates for the league title.
Under the Dutch coach Foppe de Haan, Spurs sprinkled and pushed Pirates until the end as the league title was decided on the last day of the season.
Going into the last day of the season, Pirates were second on the table on 57 points and while Spurs on 59. Pirates were facing Golden Arrows having drawn Santos away while Ajax lost to Bloemfontein Celtic, in what was both sides’ second to last match.
It meant Ajax needed just a win as everything was in their hands. However, they didn’t. Bongani Ndulula settled the nerves first for Pirates at Orlando Stadium, riffling home in the 38th minute, raising the roof high as Ajax were goalless against Maritzburg at the same time at Cape Town Stadium.
Five minutes later, Khama Billiat scored for Ajax as they took the lead. It was made sweet for Ajax as soon later Collins Mbesuma equalized in the 43rd minute for Arrows, with Urban Warriors back in the pound seat.
But in the second half, things turned around and Gert Schalkwyk scored for Ian Palmer’s Maritzburg in the 59th minute, to swing things in Pirates’ favour. Things went bad for Ajax as Diyo Sibisi scored from the penalty spot in the 66th minute to make it 2-1 for the club of Umgungundlovu.
It meant the Pirates needed to score to win the title. Zambian attacker Isaac Chansa, who became the man of the big occasion, riffled a superb stunner in the 84th minute, running the length of the field in jubilation.
Two minutes later in Cape Town, Sameehg Doutie made it 2-2 for Ajax but Maritzburg hung on for the draw, handing Ruud Krol’s side the first league title since 2002.
Ajax players such as Daniels, Nazeer Alli, Brett Evans, Thulani Serero, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Billiat, Hans Vonk, Brent Carelse, George Maluleka Tafadzwa Rusike – all starting, all slumped on the floor and others in tears.
Daniels was also left in pain at how he was released by Maritzburg at the end of the 2021/22 season to join Spurs in the Motsepe Foundation Championship along with Allie.
At that time, there were talks that Maritzburg wanted to keep Daniels to form part of the new technical team after Ernst Middendorp was sacked. Daniels was released along with Alli, going back to where it all started from both – Spurs.
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Daniels and Allie have finally avenged what happened 12 and two years ago, as they helped Spurs gain PSL top flight promotion, beating Maritzburg for the mini-league top spot playoffs last week Wednesday, where they got the draw which was enough.
It meant Maritzburg, who needed to win at all costs to retain their PSL topflight status, were relegated to the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
“This game was very personal to me because if you remember years back, they took the league title from us on the last day in Cape Town,” said Daniels to iDiski Times.
“And last season I played for them, and they didn’t renew my contract and Allie. We were here and waiting, but they didn’t renew our contracts and we went back home, and we showed them. This is the work that we have been doing the whole season.”
