Matsatsantsa make things really difficult for AmaZulu

at Moses Mabhida Stadium AMAZULU’S nine-year stay in the Premier Soccer League seems set to expire after they were sucker-punched by SuperSport United yesterday evening.

AmaZulu were last relegated in the 2003/04 season when they were known as Zulu Royals before they bought their way back into the league in the 2006/07 campaign.

While they were game for long stretches of the match, they seem to have run out of gas at the wrong time.

With Maritzburg United not doing AmaZulu any favour on Friday evening when they went down to Moroka Swallows at Dobsonville Stadium, Usuthu had a fight on their hands.

Their lives were made even harder by Free State Stars’ 2-0 win against the free-falling Chippa United, which meant Steve Barker’s side had to win at all costs to ensure they keep their grip on the play-off spot which was occupied by Swallows ahead of this match.

Chippa’s poor 2015 form has seen them fall into the relegation deathtrap as they are only two points ahead of the Birds, which offers a figment of hope for AmaZulu.

They were not helped by falling behind in the 39th minute when Daine Klate’s free kick found the bottom right corner of Energy Murambadoro’s net.

The goal itself came against the run of play as AmaZulu had the better of the first half exchanges/

But United were far more threatening when they ventured into AmaZulu’s box.

Jeremy Brockie and Bradley Grobler were a dangerous partnership and asked serious questions of defenders Mbulelo Mabizela and the clumsy Sadat Ouro-Akoriko.

Grobler missed two easy chances in the seventh and 17th minute when he twice had a oneon-one with Murambadoro.

Besides not capitalising on their chances, AmaZulu shot themselves in the foot when Mabizela was yellow-carded for bringing down Brockie in the lead-up to Klate’s goal.

He will miss their next game against University of Pretoria on Wednesday, where the failure to procure a positive result could seal AmaZulu’s fate.

Referee Khulasande Qongqo controversially denied Matsatsantsa a Pitori a legitimate second goal in the 63rd minute when Murambadoro spilt a routine catch with Grobler heading the loose ball in.

Murambadoro was not imped-

After the third goal, the fight went from Usuthu. The writing seems to be on the wall for one of SA’s oldest clubs

ed by United players and was surrounded by his own, which made the call all the more bemusing.

It was the wake-up call the hosts needed and they responded with the all-important equaliser through Ouro-Akoriko, who powerfully nodded in Sifiso Hlanti’s corner.

It was a deserved goal as AmaZulu were attacking with renewed purpose, but they also took advantage of United’s inability to clear set-pieces efficiently.

Their joy was shortlived as Brockie took advantage of slack defending when he tapped in Kingston Nkatha’s cross in the 79th minute.

Brockie turned provider a minute later when his run caught the AmaZulu defence napping, from where he laid on a pass that Thuso Phala latched onto and drilled a low shot past Murambadoro.

The fight went from AmaZulu at that point and the writing seems to be on the wall for one of South Africa’s oldest clubs.