Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya’s second-half header against Richards Bay was enough to send AmaZulu above Kaizer Chiefs and into third on the Betway Premiership table, while lifting Usuthu out of the shadow of last week’s 5-2 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns.
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Richards Bay, coming off a spirited 2-2 draw with Chiefs, matched their more illustrious rivals for large stretches of a tight opening period.
Athini Maqokolo came closest around the midway point of the half, only to see his effort come back off the crossbar, before Ngwenya himself went close from a corner in the run-up to half-time, his overhead effort drifting just wide.
Ngwenya settled things early in the second half, meeting a cross to head past Ian Otieno inside six minutes of the restart. That lead threatened to slip away when Richards Bay’s introduction of Lundi Mahala changed the complexion of the game, the substitute drawing a penalty that Moses Mthembu tucked away with ten minutes remaining.
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AmaZulu had the final word, though. Nkosikhona Radebe converted from close range moments later, teed up once again by Maqokolo, to hand Ronnie Gabriel’s Richards Bay a fifth game without a win and send Arthur Zwane’s side back into the top three.
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Photo: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
