Durban – Siyabonga Nkosi scored a brace to ensure Kaizer Chiefs ended 2013 with a strong advantage at the top of the Premiership table thanks to a thumping 4-1 victory over AmaZulu in Durban on Sunday.
Substitute Nkosi struck in the 55th and 86th minute, while Knowledge Musona and Bernard Parker were also on target as Amakhosi ran riot in Durban to move five points clear at the summit.
Khulegani Madondo scored a late consolation for Usuthu, who ended the year seventh on the table.
Chiefs made a great start and could have gone ahead inside the opening five minutes when Musona easily shrugged of Carlington Nyadombo and Bonginkosi Macala, although Tapuwa Kapini did well to rescue his side by turning the 12-yard effort away for a corner.
Parker then came close after ambitiously going for goal from just outside the box Ä the ball flying inches wide.
At the other end, Goodman Dlamini tried his luck from a quick free-kick that went wide of the left upright.
Amakhosi continued to enjoy the better of the possession, though, and when Siphiwe Tshabalala delivered a pin-point corner from the right, Musona planted his header inches over.
Usuthu had their best opening before the half-hour mark as Njabulo Manqana managed to break into space through the middle, but the midfielder somehow shot wide with time and space before him.
Chiefs then came close to breaking the deadlock when a raking ball from the right by Tshabalala found Parker in the box and the Bafana Bafana forward took a touch before cannoning a shot off the left upright.
Tshabalala again brought the crowd to its feet before the interval when he went for goal from distance, with the ball landing on the top of the goal.
After the restart, Chiefs almost went straight ahead when Nkosi broke free down the left and forced Kapini to make a sharp save.
But there was no let off from Nkosi the next time as he collected a ball inside from Tshabalala, and as the defenders backed off, the replacement midfielder rifled in from 25 yards out.
It was 2-0 six minutes later as Nkatha sent over a searching ball from the left following a quick counter-attack.
Musona first collected and laid to Tshabalala on the left, and after the initial striker was saved by Kapini, the Zimbabwean crashed in the rebound.
The home side tried to reply, but continued to look vulnerable on the break.
Their best chance came when Ayanda Dlamini sent over a cross from the right which was headed over by Nkosinathi Mthiyane.
But Chiefs had a third in the 80th minute when Nkhatha's shot from a tight angle was fumbled by Kapini and Parker was on hand to convert.
There was even time for a fourth goal for the Soweto side when the ball was played in to Nkosi in the box and he made no mistake from close range this time.
Madondo saw a long-range striker deflecting in stoppage time, but that did little to dampen a splendid win for the champions. – Sapa