UBUNTU RECORD ANOTHER PSL UPSET
Ubuntu Cape Town stunned AmaZulu FC 3-2 n the Nedbank Cup Last 16 match at the King Zwelitihini Stadium on Friday night.
As a result, Ubuntu became the first team to book their place in the quarterfinals, while Usuthu bowed out of the competition.
The hosts were in control of the match in the early stages, but they were struggling to penetrate the Ubuntu defence.
The away side took a surprise lead in the seventh minute when Jesse Donn whipped a cross into the box and Clint Fredericks headed home to make it 1-0 to Ubuntu.
Two minutes later, the hosts tried to respond with a goal through Jabulani Ncobeni, who was looking lively down the left hand side.
The skillful winger beat his marker and he cut inside, but his low shot was brilliantly saved by Ubuntu goalkeeper Buti Khoza.
Usuthu pressed Ubuntu in search for the equalising goal, but the home side found it difficult to unlock the visitors’ defence.
It was soon 2-0 to the away side following an attack against of play a few minutes before the half-hour mark.
Donn’s deflected cross found an unmarked Duncan Adonis on the edge of the AmaZulu box and the latter scored with a low shot to make it 2-0 to Ubuntu.
The home side had a chance to pull one back in the 35th minute through Mhlengi Cele, but he unleashed a shot which was well saved by Khoza.
Ubuntu managed to contain AmaZulu until the match referee blew the halftime whistle and the National First Division (NFD) outfit was leading 2-0 at the inteval.
The Usuthu was exposed and punished by the Mother City side just three minutes after the restart.
Kamohelo Mahlatsi pounced and capitalised on the Usuthu defence’s failure to clear a Fredericks’ cross from the right, and he fired home to make it 3-0 to Ubuntu.
Cavin Johnson pushed forward in numbers and Michael Morton pulled the trigger from range, but his effort went wide of the target on the hour-mark.
It was end-to-end stuff as AmaZulu keeper Boalefa Pule denied Mahlatsi at the near-post and Sibusiso Mabiliso also saw his effort saved by Khoza at the other end in the 64th minute.
The momentum was with hosts in the closing stages of the game and they deservedly made it 3-1 through substitute Mabhuti Khenyeza, who scored with a great header.
Ubuntu were struggling to cope with Usuthu pressing them. The hosts were unlucky as Karuru hit the upright twice in the 77th minute with the visitors defence exposed.
However, Karuru was not to be denied in the 90th minute as he scored with a thunderous header to make it 3-2 with Khoza well-beaten.
The visitors managed to hold on to their lead in the dying minutes of the game with Khoza making late saves to deny Khenyeza and Ncobeni.
Ultimately, Ubuntu caused another upset in the Nedbank Cup by edging out AmaZulu 3-2 having defeated Polokwane City in the Last 32.
AmaZulu 2
Khenyeza 77′, Karuru 90′
Ubuntu 3
Fredericks 7′, Adonis 25′, Mahlatsi 48′
AmaZulu: Pule, Mabiliso (Lumkwana 82′), Gumede, Gumede, Nyongo (Ramphela 69′), Ncube, Morton, Ncobeni, Cele, Karuru, Manzini (Khenyeza 59′).
Ubuntu: Khoza, Sigwebela, Heutchou-Kuilong, Gwala, Bezuidenhout, Chiwunga, Donn (Isaacs 67′), Fredericks (Mayo 82′), Adonis, Mahlatsi, Cale (Madikane 57′).
