Students’ decline stuns Hunt
Loss to AmaZulu reduces title hopes
Bidvest Wits are slowly but surely pulling themselves out of the league title contention with their 2-0 loss to AmaZulu FC at King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi, Durban, on Saturday night extending their winless streak to four games. In those four games Gavin Hunt’s team have only collected two points from two draws, after losing the other two games. In the process, they also lost their top spot on the Absa Premiership table, going down to fourth. The first 45 minutes of this encounter were marked by both clubs failing to take the half opportunities they created, with Bongi Ntuli the main culprit for Usuthu. Wits defender Sifiso Hlanti missed an easy chance towards the end of the half.
But Ntuli changed the complexion of the match when he netted his fifth goal of the season with an easy tap in following substitute Somila Ntsundwana’s fantastic cross on the right three minutes after the restart.
As Wits were pressing for the equaliser, Zimbabwean midfielder Ovidy Karuru punished them following a counter-attack that ended with Ntsundwana again supplying a cross for Karuru to register his second of the season.
The defeat for Wits, who ended the match with 10 men after their skipper Thulani Hlatshwayo was shown a red card two minutes from time for a foul on the super sub Ntsundwana, keeps them fourth on the table and still trailing leaders Orlando Pirates by two points with seven matches remaining.
For Usuthu, the victory comes as huge relief after suffering two defeats in their previous matches away to Pirates and Maritzburg United. They are now 10th with 26 points.