AmaZulu FC were defeated 5-4 on penalties by ABC Motsepe League (Gauteng) side Dondol Stars following a 1-1 draw in a Last 16 match at the FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.
As a result, Usuthu bowed out of the South African FA Cup and coach Romain Folz’s side will be keen to bounce back to winning ways when they square off with Stellenbosch FC in a DStv Premiership match on March 17.
Chaba Refete started the match brightly – firing shots at goal, but Sibonile Nomala and Relebogile Molefe failed to keep their attempts on target in the 14th minute and 15th minute respectively without testing goalkeeper Jody February.
However, Usuthu finished the first-half the stronger of the teams and the visitors were able to seriously test goalkeeper Sphamandla Gumede who denied Frank Mhango in the 40th minute and the score was 0-0 at half-time.
AmaZulu were the better side after the restart and they managed to break the deadlock in the 54th minute when Larry Bwalya set-up Hendrick Ekstein who hit the back of the net from close range to hand the visitors a 1-0 lead.
However, the lead only lasted for six minutes as Revaldo Fox netted to level matters to make it 1-1 after the KwaZulu-Natal giants had failed to clear away a corner-kick and ultimately, the game ended in a draw in regulation time and extra-time followed.
The two teams couldn’t take their chances in extra time which saw AmaZulu being reduced to 10 players in the 114th after substitute Keagan Buchanan received his second yellow card of the game and the experienced midfielder was sent off.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time and a penalty shootout followed. Dondol emerged as 5-4 on penalties as Mhango was the only player who failed to convert his penalty – being denied by Gumede from the spot-kick.
Dondol 1 (Fox 60′)
AmaZulu 1 (Esktein 54′)
Dondol: Gumede, Mabu (Mathiane 115′), Nomala (Ralebakeng 115′), Fox, Baloyi, Monama, Mnyembane, Molefe (Ngwetjane 85′), Katiso (Nameka 64′), Skhosana (Patlana 64′), Makungo (Mutshidzi 115′).
AmaZulu: February, Sikhakhane (105′), Hanamub, Gumede, Mphahlele, Mobara, Bwalya (Buchanan 82′), Ekstein (Brooks 69′), Ntuli (Majoro 75′), Zuma (Dion 69′), Mhango.
