Polokwane City opened their 2024-25 Betway Premiership account with a 2-1 home win over AmaZulu at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
Goals from Etioa Ighodaro and Bulelani Nikani had left the match on course for a draw, but Usuthu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa – who just eight days ago made a howler between the posts for Bafana Bafana – was guilty of another calamitous error, which allowed Rise and Shine’s Tholo Matuludi to score an injury-time winner at the end of the encounter.
AmaZulu looked the likelier scorers through the first quarter of the match, with the strike pairing of Etiosa Ighodaro and Sede Dion providing plenty of movement and attacking impetus.
And the Durban side duly claimed the lead on the half-hour mark via Ighodaro, who got on the end of a fine cross from Riaan Hanamub and powered home a header from close range.
Polokwane enjoyed more of the ball through the remaining 15 minutes of the first half, and levelled deep in injury time before the interval: Cole Alexander’s free kick picked out Bulelani Nikani, who directed a header into the bottom corner for 1-1.
Usuthu almost reclaimed the lead early in the second half through Rowan Human, who drove forward from midfield and sent a low shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Manuel Sapunga, only for the ball to crash back off the base of the post.
Another close call for the hosts was in the 79th minute when AmaZulu substitute Abbubaker Mobara latched onto a loose ball and fired off a long-range drive which flashed just wide of the target.
The visiting team also sent on the likes of Ethan Brooks, Augustine Mulenga and Tshepang Moremi. As a result, AmaZulu dominated the final phase of the match and applied more attacking pressure.
However, a City free kick in injury time saw a seemingly harmless ball loop up in the air, but Mothwa made a hash of trying to collect it and Tholo Matuludi was on hand to volley into an unguarded net and secure a 2-1 home win.
Polokwane will next be in Premiership action on Saturday 21 September when they face newly-promoted Magesi FC away from home, while AmaZulu’s next league clash is at home to Kaizer Chiefs on Wednesday 25 September.
Polokwane City (1) 2 (Nikani 45+4’, Matuludi 90+1’)
AmaZulu FC (1) 1 (Ighodaro 30’)
Polokwane: Sapunga, Matuludi, Nikani, Nkaki, Nkwe, Ramabu (Dlamini 56’), Nana (Daniels 46’), Alexander (Marema 80’), Maphangule, Kambala, Chauke (Makhubela 90+5’)
AmaZulu: Mothwa, Jooste, Gumede (Ndlovu 90+2’), Fielies, Hanamub, Motshwari (Mobara 76’), Ngema (Brooks 83’), Human (Mulenga 76’), Mbanjwa (Moremi 83’), Ighodaro, Dion
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