Ajax Cape Town vs Manchester United: Lessons Man U Learned in Summer Friendly

Manchester United and Ajax Cape Town played each other to a 1-1 draw and while this is a fantastic result for the South African side, it is nothing to worry about for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. 

Ajax Cape Town was the ninth-place finisher this past season in the Premier Soccer League, and at first glance, this is an embarrassing scoreline for one of the most storied clubs in football.

But summer exhibition matches are essentially meaningless and nothing more than a chance for United to showcase its players. It’s an excellent situation for spectators, who will either be wowed by some of the top players in the world as they dismantle an inferior side, or they'll watch their beloved home team go toe-to-toe and compete with a European giant.

Still, there were three signs of things to come that were on display in the match.

Bebe Might Be Useful After All

Manchester United winger Bebe was bought for £7.2 million in the summer of 2010 after featuring for a third-division Portuguese, and the Judicial Ministry in his home country is currently investigating the transfer, according to David Conn of the Guardian. 

The reasons surrounding the transfer are perplexing, and Conn notes that Ferguson never even watched him play before the move. Bebe cannot be called a bust, because any reasonable observer should have had the lowest possible expectations.

He made two appearances for United in 2010 that were in no way noteworthy, and then spent the next season on lone to Besiktas, where he also failed to impress. He appeared in just four matches and his tenure in Turkey was spoiled by injury and disciplinary problems. 

This has not been an ideal start to his United career, but his fortunes may just be turning around. After coming on as a substitute, Bebe tied the match with a clutch goal in the 90^th minute. At least he is starting off this season on the right foot.

Shinji Kagawa Will Be as Advertised

The Japanese midfielder has been Ferguson’s marquee signing this summer and he flashed the qualities that make him a special player.

Kagawa had 13 goals and eight assists for Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund this past season, and United pried him away from Germany for an intial £12 million fee, which could rise to as much as £17 million if the 23-year-old plays well. 

As Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail wrote about the midfielder’s first start for the Red Devils, “Kagawa impressed after a quiet opening, growing in confidence and exerting more influence over the game.”

Based on the skills he displayed at Dortmund and on the pitch in South Africa, Kagawa will be worth every penny, and United will be shelling out a few million more pounds to the German side.

United Remains as Popular as Ever 

There were 55,000 fans on hand to see the Red Devils take on the home side in South Africa’s second-biggest city, as noted by Wheeler.

The stadium was filled to capacity to see the richest and most popular club in the world.

United is the most valuable sports franchise on the planet, according to Forbes Magazine, and the Guardian reported that a survey showed the team has 659 million fans, more than any other club.

Even with uninspired performances such as the one in South Africa, United will still pack stadiums everywhere they go.