Cape Town Ajax 1-2 Pompey

We continued our pre-season preparations with a friendly match in South Africa with Cape Town Ajax today, running out 2-1 victors.

This is the match report from the Pompey Site...

PLAY UP POMPEY!

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CAPE TOWN AJAX 1 POMPEY 2

Jermain Defoe and Pedro Mendes scored first-half goals as Pompey beat Cape Town Ajax in a friendly match on Wednesday.

The Blues effectively sealed the game with two goals in the opening 20 minutes of the match at Cape Town Ajax's Ikanva training complex.

Substitute Dipsy Selolwane pulled one back for the home side in injury time, following a spirited second-half response by the hosts.

Hundreds of locals turned out to watch the game and supporters decked out in red-and-white Ajax shirts waved flags and blew giant horns called Vuvuzelas.

Others watched the game from behind a fence next to Frans Conradie Road through Cape Town's Parow district.

In contrast to the sunshine of Pompey's first two days in Cape Town, the gloomy mid-winter weather meant Table Mountain, which provided the backdrop for the Blues' training session at Ajax Cape Town's training ground on Tuesday, was hidden by cloud.

Six Pompey players stayed behind at the team hotel to have treatment for knocks: David James (calf), Noe Pamarot (thigh), Glen Little (hamstring), Sean Davis (knee), John Utaka (calf) and Kanu (thigh). Linvoy Primus, suffering from a stomach bug, was also absent.

But the Blues went about their business and were ahead after 14 minutes, Niko Kranjcar flicking a ball over the top for DEFOE to neatly lob Sean Roberts.

The Blues extended their lead four minutes later when MENDES took advantage of a mistake in the Cape Town defence. Gathering the ball 25 yards out, the Blues midfielder swerved a shot into the top corner of the net with the outside of his right foot.

Pompey nearly added a third on 39 minutes thanks to more quick thinking from Kranjcar, whose ball over the top sent Defoe racing away.

The angle was tight, but the England striker nearly scored with a lob that flew just the wrong side of the far post.

Cape Town upped the tempo after the break with Jamie Ashdown twice having to save smartly from Sameehg Doutie.

Striker Emmanuel then headed narrowly over as Pompey's defence came under further pressure.

Pompey responded by carving out a couple of chances of their own - Ben Sahar shooting just wide before Kranjcar curled a free-kick just the wrong side of the post.

But Cape Town got the goal their supporters craved when Selolwane beat Ashdown from the edge of the box with a curling right foot shot.

Pompey: Ashdown; Lauren, Campbell, Cranie, Babayaro; Mvuemba, Diarra, Mendes (Diop 65), Kranjcar; Sahar, Defoe (Crouch 65).

Cape Town Ajax: Roberts; Allie, Fereira, Kubeka, Evans; Shumana, Bisser, Emmanuel (Selolwane 70), Josef, Cale, Doutie.

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