AmaZulu always faced an uphill task against Mamelodi Sundowns, and their failure to be clinical in execution only made things worse, squandering a chance to make inroads into the Top 3.
Second-half goals from Peter Shalulile and Arthur Sales handed Sundowns a 2-0 win over Usuthu, with the KwaZulu-Natal outfit suffering their first loss in four matches and missing out on a chance to move into third, as Stellenbosch played out a 0-0 draw with Orlando Pirates.
Nevertheless, fourth place remains a strong possibility for Arthur Zwane and his charges despite their disappointing loss to the Brazilians.
The need to shake off this defeat will be crucial as they next welcome TS Galaxy to King Zwelithini Stadium on Friday (7.30pm kick-off). With the Rockets having claimed all three points in the first leg thanks to a Puso Dithejane strike in the 75th minute, Zwane has his work cut out to ensure his side gains an advantage over a direct competitor for a Top 4 spot.
Speaking after the loss to the defending league champions, Zwane lamented his side’s missed opportunities and urged them to find the consistency needed to remain competitive in the league.
“I still believe it could have been better; we had about four chances,” he said, after the match.
“We couldn’t find the target at all. Defensively, we are doing well, but we conceded two goals we shouldn’t have.
“We had numbers inside the box. As much as we are a work in progress, we should learn and learn fast. Had we taken some of those chances, it could have been a completely different story.”
Usuthu’s season has been up and down, and despite their strong showing against Sundowns, they now have to reset quickly with Galaxy just a few days away.
“We need to get it right. My worry is that we didn’t even score a goal today.
“(We lacked) that final touch — just connecting with the free player facing goal and finishing. That has been our problem lately.
“In the second half, we conceded a cheap goal; we were just shifting. We allowed the ball carrier to find the runner, whereas in the first half, we managed to close all those spaces — they had no room. Towards the end of the game, after they scored, we finally looked like we wanted to play again and took the game to them.
“You look at all the turnovers — we win the ball from them and then give it straight back. Before halftime, we had a two-versus-one situation.
“If that ball reaches (Tshepang) Moremi, it’s a one-on-one with the keeper. We had about three of those in the first half. When you look back at the SuperSport (United) game, it was more or less the same situation.”
With just two points separating Usuthu and Galaxy after 22 matches, the winner of Friday’s clash could find themselves in pole position to claim a spot as high as third by the end of the season; and that could mean African competition.
