AmaZulu 0
BIDvest Wits (0) 3
Rodrigues 76, Mongomezulu 90+1, 90+2
BIDvest Wits celebrated the opening of Soccer City on Saturday with three second half goals as they lifted the Nedbank Cup.
One from Fabricio Rodrigues, and a late brace from Sipho Mngomezulu sent Wits home with their first piece of silverware since the 1995 Coca Cola Cup, and R6 million to boot.
AmaZulu were the first side to threaten, Tsweu Mokoro's corner causing some difficulties inside the Wits penalty area.
But it was the Students who ultimately took control, with attacking duo Sifiso Myeni and Marawaan Bantam linking well, and Michael Morton doing a superb job in front of his back four.
In the fourth minute, Myeni released Bantam into the penalty area, but his shot was blocked. Wits ought to then have taken the lead when Bantam's free kick found Sifiso Vilakazi free inside the area, but AmaZulu's Argentinean goalkeeper Nicolas Gindre pulled off an excellent reflex save.
Bantam then supplied a lovely ball for Mark Haskins, the two-goal hero of the semifinal. But Haskins couldn't get away a decent shot, and the ball floated gently into Gindre's arms.
A long punt up field then saw Vilakazi in space, but his header was also weak.
AmaZulu's 'keeper Gindre, it must be said, was generally having a poor game flapping at just about every cross that came his way.
Usuthu as a whole, indeed were far from their best, Siphiwe Mkhonza's long punts into the area arguably their best form of attack, Ayanda Dlamini almost latching on to one such ball.
Mokoro was their most lively player, lashing on a long range effort just inches wide.
Tackles were flying in, and Roger De Sa was doing his best impression of a yo-yo, leaping up and down to berate officials over perceived injustices.
Jerome Damon was certainly a little inconsistent, harshly booking Dlamini for diving, but failing to caution Simanagaliso Biyela for blatantly bringing down Bantam.
Myeni, meanwhile, was a little lucky to only escape with a yellow card for a reckless, over-the-top tackle on Thamsanqa Sangweni, an act that basically looked like retaliation for a couple of earlier niggles.
AmaZulu showed a little more spark in attack at the start of the second half, though it was Wits who came closest first, Vilakazi firing a left-footed effort just wide.
For AmaZulu, Dumisani Ngwenya broke clear, but dragged his shot wide across the face of goal.
Nwenya then came even closer, lashing in a right foot drive that gave Francis Chansa his first real test of the game. And the Wits 'keeper responded well, tipping the ball over the bar.
Chansa then tipped over a Siphiwe Mkhonza long-throw that bounced awkwardly, though he actually could have let the ball go in, as no one touched it on the way through.
But it was Wits who struck, Rodrigues arriving at the back post to turn in Mngomezulu's cross, though there was no way the Wits winger was aiming for the Brazilian, and Gindre's positioning was absolutely awful.
Sifiso Vilakazi set the seal on the win with two very late goals, applying cool finishes as Wits hit AmaZulu on the break.