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AmaZulu continued to torment Richards Bay, securing a dominant 3-1 victory in their Betway Premiership clash at King Zwelithini Stadium on Saturday.
Heading into this encounter, Richards Bay had recently parted ways with their coach, Brandon Truter, following a loss to Kaizer Chiefs earlier in the week.
Chairman Sifiso Biyela appointed Sibusiso Msomi, Ronnie Gabriel, and Siboniso Gumede to oversee the team’s affairs on a temporary basis while they look for a new head coach.
Although a fresh perspective in the locker room often sparks player motivation, this instance did not yield the expected results. They faced an Usuthu side keen on climbing out of the relegation zone.
Rowan Human opened the scoring for Usuthu in the first half, finishing a cross from Tshepang Moremi. Despite creating multiple chances, Usuthu failed to capitalize on their momentum to increase their lead.
In the 40th minute, Moremi missed a golden opportunity to double Usuthu’s advantage; his shot was brilliantly saved by Kenyan keeper Ian Otieno, who nearly made a costly error in the process. The first half ended with AmaZulu ahead 1-0.
Richards Bay made strategic substitutions, introducing Thando Buthelezi and Langelihle Mhlongo for Siyethemba Sithebe and Moses Mthembu at the beginning of the second half, hoping for a turnaround.
The opening 10 minutes of the second period saw both teams generating several scoring opportunities but failing to convert. Nevertheless, Etiosa Ighodaro added to Usuthu’s score with a powerful header from a Wayde Jooste free kick in the 66th minute. Just two minutes later, Bafana Bafana midfielder Ethan Brooks made it 3-0, slotting the ball into the near post unopposed.
Despite their struggles, Bay eventually found the back of the net when Yanela Mbuthuma scored during stoppage time following a chaotic scramble in the box, netting what was a well-deserved consolation goal. This marked Mbuthuma’s second goal in as many games, having also scored in their 2-1 defeat to Chiefs earlier in the week.
Following this loss, Richards Bay has sunk to the bottom of the Betway Premiership standings, while AmaZulu has climbed to 14th place.
