AmaZulu were on the receiving end against an Orlando Pirates side desperate to break their score-less form, resulting in a 2-0 loss for Usuthu at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday night.
AmaZulu had their chances and their periods of dominance in the game, but things would just not fall for them in front of goal as Bucs found the ruthlessness their game had been lacking recently.
The first half was underlined with missed opportunities from both sides, although it was Bucs who had the more numerous chances.
Zambian midfielder Isaac Chansa had the first decent chance of the game in the seventh minute, but miscued his effort right in front of goal.
While Usuthu did enjoy their fair share of time on the ball, it was again Pirates who created the next clear-cut chance, in the 22 nd minute, as Thulasizwe Mbuyane burst through on goal, beating the off-side trap but then failing to pick out Bennett Chenene with his ball across the goal-mouth.
Four minutes later Chansa again posed problems to the AmaZulu defence with a storming run, but he elected to go for a near post shot, which allowed Mbongeni Mzimela to make a comfortable save.
Neil Tovey’s men were then to suffer a setback as Thabo Mabaso took and elbow to the head and was replaced by Tsweu Mokoro.
Usuthu’s best chance came just before the break when Rooi Mahamutsa gifted the ball to Bradley Ritson on the edge of the Pirates box, but the striker’s angled effort flew just over the cross-bar.
Following the restart, the game remained tight, and there for the taking, and it was Pirates who took the initiative, going in front in the 61 st minute when Lucky Lekgwathi slammed home a back post volley after the KZN side’s defence failed to clear a long throw-in.
Ten minutes later there was a chance for Warren Bishop to get AmaZulu on the score-sheet from a corner kick, but his header cleared the bar by some distance.
And it was unfortunately at the other end of the field that the next goal arrived as Gert Schalkwyk slid in at the back post to clinically bury Mbuyane’s dangerous 79th minute ball across the box.
There was a late charge by Usuthu, but they were not even able to grab a consolation goal as Moeneeb Josephs pulled off a wonderful save from a 90th minute strike by Dumisani Ngwenya.
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TEAMS
Pirates: Josephs; Lekgwathi, Mahamutsa, Makonese, Thwala; Jali, Mabalane, Chansa, Chenene (Mongala 63’); Mbuyane (Mthembu 85’), Mashego (Schalkwyk 62’)
AmaZulu: Mzimela; Biyela, Mkhonza, Chintu, Bishop; Kasonga, Mabaso [Mokoro 38’ (Ngxabi 75’)], N. Zwane, Hadebe; A. Dlamini, Ritson (Ngwenya 64’).
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