Durban - AmaZulu got their CAF Champions League campaign back on track with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Guinea football giants Horoya AC at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday night.
Usuthu took the lead after the half hour mark through Luvuyo Memela. Augustine Mulenga made a trademark precise cross into the path of Memela but the veteran produced a delightful turn which left the Horoya defenders and goalkeeper dumbfounded before scoring.
Had the Durban based side been more alert and taken their chances better, they could have been ahead by more than one goal going into half-time.
Just two minutes before the goal, Horoya goalkeeper Moussa Camara was guilty of an embarrassing error as he passed the ball to opposition attacker Xola Mlambo. Mlambo responded with an embarrassing mistake of his own as he passed to the obviously offside Abraham Majok leading to an Usuthu chance being wasted.
𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡!
— TotalEnergies CAFCL - TotalEnergies CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) February 18, 2022
🇿🇦 Luvuyo Memela granting @AmaZuluFootball their first-ever #TotalEnergiesCAFCL goal! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/bMe5xTbkE1
Mulenga made another dart down the left channel in the 40th minute, picking out Majok who had a free-header on goal. The Kenyan international could not direct his effort on target, wasting another good opportunity for Usuthu.
Horoya certainly made a big change to their approach in the second half as they looked to be a totally different team in the second half. After not really testing AmaZulu goalie Veli Mothwa in the first half, they went on to challenge the Usuthu goal a few times in the opening minutes of the second half alone.
Boniface Haba tried to produce a similar turn to what Mulenga did in the first half and while he did execute the turn, his effort could only force an easy save out of Mothwa.
ALSO READ: AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy welcomes physical challenge of Horoya in Champions League
Two minutes later, Usuthu defender Sandile Khumalo committed an embarrassing effort as he sent a free-kick in his team’s defensive area straight to Aboubacar Sylla. Sylla’s powerful effort ended up hitting the AmaZulu post and Benni McCarthy’s side can count themselves lucky to have not conceded.
Just moments later Pape N’Diaye struck a powerful effort which tested Mothwa.
AmaZulu dominated the first half but it was the opposite way around in the second 45 minutes as the away side will be frustrated that they did not score after penetrating through the home team’s defence a number of times.
AmaZulu will next be in action on Tuesday when they host bottom of the table TS Galaxy in a DSTV Premiership clash at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
After playing against the Rockets, Usuthu will play their third game of the Champions League group stage against ES Setif also at the Moses Mabhida Stadium next Friday.
@EshlinV