Mamelodi Sundowns got their Absa Premiership campaign back on track with a slender 1-0 victory over AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday evening.
Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane had a number of absentees to deal with, which included goalkeeper Denis Onyango, Gaston Sirino, Hlompho Kekana, Tebogo Langerman, Themba Zwane and Thapelo Morena
Despite the number of changes made by Sundowns, they dominated from the onset and should have been ahead after 18 minutes when Lebohang Maboe squandered a glorious chance in the box after blazing over the crossbar.
Usuthu were not completely out of the game and managed to carve out a couple of half-chances of their own, with Vilakazi and Bongi Ntuli causing a couple of problems in the final third.
However, Sundowns managed to get the opening goal in the third minute of time added on through Jose Ali Meza, who turned home a lovely pass from Sibusiso Vilakazi.
Usuthu coach Jozef Vukusic responded with a double change at the start of the second half as Ovidy Karuru replaced Tsepo Masilela while the injured Siyabonga Mbatha made way for Boshoff.
Boshoff was kept busy on his arrival in the second half after keeping out powerful strikes from Vilakazi and Meza in the opening 15 minutes of the stanza.
That was to be Meza’s final act in the game as the Venezuelan attacker picked up a knock and was replaced by Aubrey Ngoma, who was making his first league appearances of the season.
The tempo dropped quite a bit in the latter stages of the second half as Usuthu were unable to carve out any serious openings in the final third as Sundowns held on for three points.
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Source – SoccerLaduma
