Reds' Cape Town test

Alan Beck runs the rule over tour opponents Ajax Cape Town...

So what are Ajax doing out here?
Ajax Cape Town is a young club formed in 1999 from the merger of two local sides, Seven Stars and Cape Town Spurs, under a franchise agreement with Ajax Amsterdam, who wanted to build an academy in South Africa to tap into local talent with the hope of uncovering further gems in the wake of Benni McCarthy's move to Europe.

How did they do last season?
The last campaign was something of a hangover from 2010/11, when Ajax CT went into the last game of the season top of the table and needing only to match or better Orlando Pirates' result to be champions of South Africa for the first time. They fluffed it, drawing at home with Maritzburg United, while the Pirates beat Golden Arrows 2-1. Manager Foppe de Haan stood down and Maarten Stekelenburg led the team to a patchy ninth-placed finish.

Who’s in the hotseat?
You know the name, but it's not Holland's no.1. This Maarten Stekelenburg succeeded to the senior managerial chair after an impressive spell as head of youth development at the Ajax Cape Town academy. It's been a tough baptism for the new man and he'll be looking for his troops to step up to the challenge of facing Manchester United.

Talk me through the team…
Only one familiar face in former Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld, but this is a team dedicated to the development of young talent and they're led by exciting 23-year-old attacking midfielder Granwald Scott (pictured).

And the fans?
There was some understandable dissent in the wake of the merger of two local teams, but mostly fans have got behind Ajax, as the