Gaaei and Leonardo Put Ajax in Control Early
Ajax closed out their pre-season the way they’d want to, going 2-0 up inside the first 35 minutes at Kras Stadion and never really letting Volendam back into it from there. Right-back Anton Gaaei got things started in the 29th minute, finishing off a slick move that ran through Maher Carrizo, Abdellah Ouazane and Mohamed Abdalla before Carrizo picked him out with the final pass. Six minutes later it was 2-0 — Oliver Valaker Edvardsen won a penalty, and new striker Marcos Leonardo stepped up and converted it, his first goal in an Ajax shirt.
From there, Míchel Sánchez’s side just controlled things. Ajax finished with 21 shots to Volendam’s four and 63% of the possession, numbers that tell most of the story on their own. Volendam swapped goalkeepers at the break and tried pushing higher up the pitch, but it barely changed the picture — they finished the game with zero shots on target, zero corners, and just nine touches inside the Ajax box the entire match.
A Late Wobble, Then Arokodare Seals It
Volendam did get a goal back, even if it wasn’t the cleanest way to do it. In the 80th minute, substitute goalkeeper Joeri Heerkens turned the ball into his own net, cutting the gap to 2-1 and giving the home fans something to shout about. It didn’t last long, though — six minutes later Volendam’s Erik Schouten was sent off for a second yellow, and shortly after that, Ajax put the game to bed for good. Gaaei set up another chance down the right, Tolu Arokodare pounced on the loose ball, and the on-loan striker slotted home his first Ajax goal too, making it 3-1 and closing out the scoring.
What It Means Next
A fitting way to wrap up the summer for Ajax, with two of their new forwards — Leonardo and Arokodare — both getting off the mark before a ball’s even been kicked competitively. Anton Gaaei was the standout performer of the afternoon, involved in the buildup to two goals and scoring one himself. Ajax’s preparation is done; they turn their full attention now to the season opener. For Volendam, there were positives in defending and duels, even if they never really threatened going forward all afternoon.
Match Summary
Volendam 1-3 Ajax Club Friendly — Kras Stadion, Volendam, Netherlands Sunday, 2 August 2026
Goals: 29′ Anton Gaaei (Ajax) 0-1 (assist: Maher Carrizo) 35′ Marcos Leonardo (Ajax) 0-2 (penalty) 80′ Joeri Heerkens (Volendam) 1-2 (own goal) 88′ Tolu Arokodare (Ajax) 1-3
Red card: Erik Schouten (Volendam), 86′ — second yellow
Result: Ajax close out their pre-season with a 3-1 win, with both new signings Marcos Leonardo and Tolu Arokodare scoring their first goals for the club.
For live pre-season friendly scores and coverage, visit fawanews. Full results and fixtures at the official Ajax website.
