A goal six minutes into the second half by Glen Salmons earned SuperSport United a 1-0 win over gutsy AmaZulu in a hard fought Telkom Knockout first round clash played at the Princes Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Sunday.
United held the upper hand and once they scored they never looked back. The Premier Soccer League champions had the AmaZulu defence under a lot of pressure in the first 45 minutes and it was Usuthu goalkeeper Kakonje Kalililo who was by far the busier of the two goalkeepers.
United’s veteran keeper Andre Arendse was called into action only at the end of the half when he tried to block a Myron Shongwe chip-shot that inched past his post. But the former Bafana star pulled off a match-winning save from Japhet Zwane five minutes from time.
Kalililo, a former Zambian under-23 goalkeeper, was unbeatable in the first half. His best save came in the 43rd minute when he stopped a powerful shot from Brent Carelse.
United attacked form the kick-off. Diane Klate tested the Usuthu goalkeeper when he connected a Carelse cross but Klate’s half chance went wide.
Salmon was making life difficult for the hard working Usuthu defenders with his aerial and physical power. Salmon, the former Bafana Bafana striker, forced Kalililo to punch away a dangerous high ball as the tall United striker threw his weight and power at the ball in the 24th minute.
Three minutes later it was again Kalililo to the rescue when he managed to block a dangerous cross from Salmons.
Usuthu suffered a double blow early in the second half when they lost their key striker Shongwe with a suspected hamstring injury in the 49th minute and went a goal behind after a Salmons strike in the 51st minute.
Shongwe, signed from relegated Black Leopards at the start of the season, pulled up badly when chasing a long ball down the left flank and could be out for weeks.
United’s pressure paid when Salmons squeezed past two defenders to slam home a well directed cross from Klate to put the visitors 1-0 ahead.
The goal seemed to affect Kalililo who fumbled David Kannemeyer’s curling shot in the 54th minute. But luck was on the Zambian keeper’s side when the ball dropped out of his grasp and rolled over for a corner.
United showed why they are the PSL champions and such a difficult side to beat by holding on to their lead by with their tactical discipline and using their experience to hold off the home side.
United suffered a blow when Klate was stretchered off in the 75minute with a shoulder injury. Klate landed awkwardly after a 50/50 challenge with AmaZulu’s Mohammed-Awal Issah.
Usuthu’s Sthembiso Dlamini fluffed a great chance to equalise when he failed to direct home a well aimed cross from Masoeng Sillo in the 84th minute.
A minute later Arendse showed his class when he denied Zwane a goal when he brilliantly blocked the Usuthu’s midfielder’s powerful left footed rocket to seal United’s place in the quarterfinals. – AFP
