Ajax Cape Town have opened up a two-point gap over SuperSport United at the top of the Absa Premiership log following their 3-0 trouncing of AmaZulu at the Athlone Stadium on Wednesday night.
SuperSport, however, have a game in hand — they meet Moroka Swallows on Saturday evening in a must-win match.
Ajax looked dangerous from the outset and it took just eight minutes to register the opening goal when Brazilian defender Erduardo Ferreira powered home a header following a corner by Franklyn Cale.
Making a rare start, defender Sifiso Vilakazi nearly doubled the lead seven minutes later when his low shot crashed into the side-netting.
Mkhanyiseli Siwahla posed problems down the right flank, and in the 32nd minute a mazy run from the Ajax youngster saw the ball worked to Nazier Allie.
Allie’s cross was only partially cleared by the Usuthu defence, which allowed Cale to smash home a shot from just inside the box.
For their part, the visitors, playing without several of their top players, never troubled Ajax keeper Hans Vonk in the slightest during the opening 45 minutes.
The second half saw the game retain its status quo as the Cape Town team dominated proceedings.
Their lead was increased to three goals after 52 minutes when Vilakazi popped up at the back post to steer Siwahla’s telling cross into the net.
The former Free State Stars man should have netted a second shortly afterwards, but volleyed over the bar from less than six yards out.
Nathan Paulse was then twice denied by keeper Kalilio Kakonje, before Usuthu had a rare chance through Nhlakanipho Mkhize, but the youngster shot well wide of goal in the 72nd minute.
Cale came close to adding icing on the cake in the 86th minute, but his effort crashed against the cross-bar. — Sapa