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Recap
Usuthu fight back to deny Pirates
AmaZulu FC and Orlando Pirates drew 1-1 in the DStv Premiership match at the Jonsson Kings Park Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The result saw Usuthu move up to the eighth spot on the league standings after Tshepang Moremi scored his first-ever goal in the top flight.
It was an end-to-end start in the opening exchanges in the city of Durban with neither side looking happy just to sit back and invite pressure.
However, the Buccaneers upped the tempo after the 20th-minute mark as they began attacking the Usuthu defence with speed and they managed to break the deadlock in the 29th minute
Collins Makgoka’s looped pass sent Deon Hotto through on goal and the former Lamontville Golden Arrows winger fired past goalkeeper Veli Mothwa to hand Pirates a 1-0 lead.
AmaZulu then took control of the game and they began pushing for the equalizing goal which they got when Tshepang Moremi scored from the blind spot in the 45th minuter to make it 1-1 heading into the break.
The Buccaneers were determined to take the lead for the second time on the night after the restart and Kwame Peprah’s thunderous shot was blocked by Mothwa in the 53rd minute.
Usuthu were not happy to sit back and defend as they pushed forward two minutes later and Andre De Jong’s low shot was parried away by keeper Siyabonga Mpontshane.
The introduction of Thembinkosi Lorch, who made his return from injury, injected some pace into the Pirates attack and Hotto was sent through in the 80th minute, but this time he was denied by Mothwa.
Lorch had two good chances in the dying minutes of the game, but he was superbly denied by Mothwa, before placing effort over the crossbar from close range and ultimately, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
AmaZulu (1) 1 (Moremi 45′)
Pirates (1) 1 (Hotto 29′)
AmaZulu: Mothwa, Moleko (Majoro 77′), Xoki, Gumede, Malepe, Buchanan, Sithebe, Moremi (Moremi 62′), Mthembu (Zulu 77′), De Jong (Ntuli 90’+1), Memela (Shange 90’+1).
Pirates: Mpontshane, Nyauza, Ndah, Shandu (Makhubela 46′), Mako (Dlamini 90’+2), Motshwari, Mabaso, Makaringe, Hotto, Makgaka (Lorch 79′), Peprah.
