Staff Reporter.
AmaZulu FC were held to a 0-0 draw by Royal AM in the DStv Premiership match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Usuthu saw most of the ball in the opening proceedings and they fired the game’s first shot on the target when goalkeeper Hugo Nyame made a fine save to deny Andre De Jong in the 12th minute.
Keagan Buchanan, who had set up De Jong, was a busy man in the middle of the park, pulling the strings as AmaZulu looked to break the deadlock against their KwaZulu-Natal rivals.
Thwihli Thwahla were awarded a free-kick in a promising area in the 33rd minute and their long-range specialist Lantshane Phalane unleashed a shot which flew over keeper Veli Mothwa’s goal posts.
The score was 0-0 during the halftime break, with Usuthu having started the game brightly, but they couldn’t open the scoring.
Nyame was the busier of the two keepers in the opening stages of the second half as the Cameroonian shot-stopper produced a magnificent save to deny Luvuyo Memela, who had been set up by De Jong.
Having become a constant threat to Thwihli Thwahla’s defence, De Jong tried his luck from range and his effort, which was heading for the top right corner, was superbly saved by Nyame with the visitors’ defence exposed.
Thembela Sikhakhane should have handed Usuthu the lead after he had rounded Nyame, but somehow the former Orlando Pirates full-back fired wide of the target with the goal gaping from close range.
The last chance of the game fell for Victor Letsoalo in stoppage time after Mothwa had punched the ball into his path, but the Royal AM striker’s effort flew over the crossbar and the match ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Meanwhile Swallows FC fought back to hold Maritzburg United to a 1-1 draw in the DStv Premiership match at the Dobsonville Stadium and Golden Arrows made it back-to-back wins in the DStv Premiership as they held on for a 2-1 victory over Chippa United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.
Elsewhere Kaizer Chiefs did not honour their fixture against Cape Town City after they had written to the Premier Soccer League to postpone their next four league matches due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the club that saw 31 employees test positive.
Cape Town City team bus did arrive and has been waiting outside the stadium.
The match commissioner were also present, with the City confirming the players had their cards checked while on the team bus.
While there is still no official statement from the Premier Soccer League, the match commissioners will send a detailed report to the league.