Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over AmaZulu FC at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night, reclaiming their position at the top of the Betway Premiership.
It took an 84th-minute strike from substitute Marcelo Allende to break the deadlock and secure maximum points for Masandawana.
The Brazilians now sit on 38 points, level with Orlando Pirates, but lead the standings courtesy of a superior goal difference.
Sundowns entered the encounter looking to redeem themselves following a disappointing 2-0 exit from the Nedbank Cup Last 16 at the hands of TS Galaxy. Conversely, Usuthu came into the clash with high morale after edging Richards Bay FC 1-0 to advance to the cup quarter-finals.
MASANDAWANA ROTATE SQUAD IN DURBAN
In a bold tactical move, Masandawana made 10 changes to the side that fell to the Rockets, while Usuthu opted for stability with just a single rotation.
Katlego Ntsabeleng registered the first real threat for the visitors, narrowly missing the target with a curling effort in the 12th minute. Khulumani Ndamane was the next to test the hosts, seeing his header from an Ntsabeleng cross brilliantly kept out by Darren Johnson. Minutes later, Ndamane unleashed a powerful long-range drive that whistled past the upright.
Sundowns were dealt a significant blow on the half-hour mark when the versatile Thapelo Morena was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury. He was replaced by Nuno Santos.
AmaZulu’s best chance of the first half arrived five minutes before the interval. Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya found himself with only Ronwen Williams to beat after connecting with a Riaan Hanamub cross, but the Bafana Bafana captain produced a world-class save to keep the game goalless. Hendrick Ekstein also failed to capitalise on the rebound, blasting his effort over the bar.
ALLENDE PROVIDES THE LATE SPARK
The second half produced a much-improved spectacle as both sides pushed for an opener. Jayden Adams nearly broke the deadlock two minutes after the restart, but his header from an Aubrey Modiba corner flew wide.
The match turned into an end-to-end affair, with chances falling to both camps. Allende, who had earlier seen an effort rattle the crossbar, finally found the breakthrough with six minutes of regulation time remaining. The Chilean playmaker unleashed a precise strike from the edge of the box to settle the contest.
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