DURBAN – Cavin Johnson would have loved to advance to the last four of the Telkom Knockout, but he has accepted that AmaZulu are out and that they need to focus on climbing the PSL standings.
Usuthu suffered a 3-1 loss to Orlando Pirates on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in the quarter-finals of the cup competition.
Thembinkosi Lorch notched a brace and Xola Mlambo was also on the score-sheet, while 27-year-old Bongi Ntuli struck a consolation goal for Usuthu.
AmaZulu are languishing at the bottom of the league standings, with three points after nine matches.
“Relegation is not a nice word that I want to hear right now, but yes, in saying that, we found ourselves there.
“We thought the cup matches were going to keep us in the game.
“I like to play football every week, but now you are going to have a mini pre-season before you play your next league game,” 59-year-old Johnson explained.
Usuthu were dealt a major blow when they were docked six points for breaching Fifa rules, and that’s why they find themselves fighting for their lives at the foot of the table.
Only four points separate AmaZulu and second-from-bottom Baroka FC.
“We are conceding goals. I think we are conceding soft goals. We are conceding goals that we shouldn’t have been conceding.
“The second goal Pirates scored, we were caught with our defenders all going for the one ball. We need to do those things correctly,” Johnson said.
— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) November 5, 2018
The Durban-based club have conceded 17 goals in 11 games across all competitions this season.
They will now welcome Polokwane City to King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi on Sunday in a league match.
Usuthu are still unbeaten in Umlazi this season.
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