AmaZulu dump Sekhukhune out of Nedbank Cup

A coach will always tell you that there’s nothing as pleasing as a game plan coming together and that was the case with Pablo Martin when AmaZulu got the better of Sekhukhune United in a Nedbank Cup last-16 clash at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.

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Prior to the game, the Usuthu coach analysed Babina Noko perfectly when he said that they are a team that applies a low block and try to score on the counter attack.

In order to counter Lehlohonolo Seema’s strategy, Martin applied a counter pressing game and AmaZulu got their first goal through pressing Sekhukhune in their own half. Sede Junior Dion did well to charge down a clearance from a Sekhukhune defender and the ball ended at the back of the net in the 25^th minute.

Sekhukhune had a chance to take the lead four minutes earlier, but Veli Mothwa did well to save Chibuike Ohizu’s header from few metres out.

The visitors hanged on to their slender lead going into the half-time break.

Martin introduced Victor Letsoalo in the place of goalscorer Dion at the start of the second half. The change was to prove to be a master stroke from Martin because it was the former Royal AM and Bloemfontein Celtic striker who doubled AmaZulu’s lead just after the hour mark.

Letsoalo capitalised on a mistake by Sekhukhune goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner, who failed to clear the ball and Letsoalo stole it before putting it into an empty net.

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Sekhukhune threw everything at AmaZulu in the dying minutes of the match as they tried to fight their way back into the game, but Mothwa pulled off some good saves to deny them the goals.

For his efforts, Mothwa was awarded the Man-of-the-Match award at the end of the match.