Ajax is enduring the darkest days in its history, facing the humiliation of being knocked out of the Dutch Cup by a fourth-tier team. Despite a momentary sense of stability for the Dutch giants, utter disappointment struck in the Round of 16 of the Dutch Cup when the “Amsterdammers” suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of USV Hercules, a team competing in the fourth division.
The four-time European champions have been experiencing genuine agony this season, conceding an early lead to Hercules in the 16th minute, with the same player doubling the fourth-tier team’s advantage in the 66th minute. Ajax staged a comeback through Brobbey, who halved the deficit for his team in the 83rd minute, only for Akpom to level the score six minutes later.
Ajax tried to avert the embarrassment, but in the third minute of stoppage time, Mats Grotenberg shocked the favored opponents, propelling the fourth-tier team into the next round of the most prestigious competition.
