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Bloemfontein - AmaZulu suffered their second defeat of 2012 after Edward Manqele scored a brace for Free State Stars to hand Usuthu a 2-1 defeat in an Absa Premiership match at the Charles Mopeli Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was not the best first 45 minutes for Usuthu as they struggled to find their rhythm in attack and looked extremely vulnerable in defence.
Stars, on the other hand, clicked from the first whistle and created chances on goal almost at will.
It only took three minutes before AmaZulu’s goalkeeper, Tapuwa Kapini, was called into action in what would be a busy half for him.
Manqele broke down the right flank and worked his way into the box before unleashing a potent shot that saw Kapini’s reflexes at his best, tipping the ball around the post.
Unfortunately, though, there was nothing the Usuthu keeper could do three minutes later when Manqele, rounding off a good passing move, gave the home side the lead after placing the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net from 12-yards out, 1-0.
After the goal Stars continued to pile on the pressure and had it not have been for Kapini, between the sticks for AmaZulu, Roger Palmgren’s side would have conceded more goals.
In the 14th minute Kapini was at his best yet again diving full stretch to his right to make another fantastic save to deny Diego Brown a 35-yard free-kick wonder goal.
In attack Usuthu were virtually non-existent and created no decent chance on goal in the opening half. Instead, it was at the other end where all the action was taking place.
In 38th minute Kapini again kept his side in the game when he saved a penalty-kick. After Manqele was pulled down inside the box by Moses Chavula the referee did not hesitate to point to the penalty-spot.
Brown took the spot-kick, but saw his poor effort beaten away by the AmaZulu goalkeeper, diving to his left to make the save.
The second half saw Usuthu make an immediate change as Stanton Lewis replaced Goodman Dlamini, and this seemed to help the confidence of the visiting side as they started stringing passes together, but still they struggled to create goal scoring opportunities.
That was until the 70th minute when Lewis beat a couple of defenders and fired a shot on goal from just inside the 18-yard area, but he saw his effort bounce off the post and back into play.
Four minutes later, though and Lewis did find the back of the net after an attempted cross from the edge of the right side of the box miscued off his boot and resulted in chipping Ayanda Mtshali to find Usuthu’s equaliser, 1-1.
That goal seemed to awaken a Stars side that had gone to sleep during the second half.
Steve Kompphela’s men pushed forward and found the winner with seven minutes left on the clock.
Saname Wome created the goal with some good work down the left where he supplied a low cross into the box and Manqele made no mistake tucking the ball home for six-yards out for his second goal of the game, 2-1.
That goal proved to be the winner as Stars picked up their first three points of 2012.
Free State Stars (1) 2 (Manqele 6’ + 83’)
AmaZulu (0) 1 (Lewis 74’)
Teams
Stars: Mtshali; Gilbert, Gcaba, Gege, Mashaba, Wome (Wiltwater 92’), Brown (Mosikidi 62’), Masehe, Manqele, Mashego, Agbagwu (Sekgobela 73’)
AmaZulu: Kapini; Mokoro, Nyadombo, Kasonga, Chavula, Senamela, Sangweni (Zhuwawo 68’), Kgatla, Mbele (Zwane 62’), A. Dlamini, G. Dlamini (Lewis 46’)
It was not the best first 45 minutes for Usuthu as they struggled to find their rhythm in attack and looked extremely vulnerable in defence.
Stars, on the other hand, clicked from the first whistle and created chances on goal almost at will.
It only took three minutes before AmaZulu’s goalkeeper, Tapuwa Kapini, was called into action in what would be a busy half for him.
Manqele broke down the right flank and worked his way into the box before unleashing a potent shot that saw Kapini’s reflexes at his best, tipping the ball around the post.
Unfortunately, though, there was nothing the Usuthu keeper could do three minutes later when Manqele, rounding off a good passing move, gave the home side the lead after placing the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net from 12-yards out, 1-0.
After the goal Stars continued to pile on the pressure and had it not have been for Kapini, between the sticks for AmaZulu, Roger Palmgren’s side would have conceded more goals.
In the 14th minute Kapini was at his best yet again diving full stretch to his right to make another fantastic save to deny Diego Brown a 35-yard free-kick wonder goal.
In attack Usuthu were virtually non-existent and created no decent chance on goal in the opening half. Instead, it was at the other end where all the action was taking place.
In 38th minute Kapini again kept his side in the game when he saved a penalty-kick. After Manqele was pulled down inside the box by Moses Chavula the referee did not hesitate to point to the penalty-spot.
Brown took the spot-kick, but saw his poor effort beaten away by the AmaZulu goalkeeper, diving to his left to make the save.
The second half saw Usuthu make an immediate change as Stanton Lewis replaced Goodman Dlamini, and this seemed to help the confidence of the visiting side as they started stringing passes together, but still they struggled to create goal scoring opportunities.
That was until the 70th minute when Lewis beat a couple of defenders and fired a shot on goal from just inside the 18-yard area, but he saw his effort bounce off the post and back into play.
Four minutes later, though and Lewis did find the back of the net after an attempted cross from the edge of the right side of the box miscued off his boot and resulted in chipping Ayanda Mtshali to find Usuthu’s equaliser, 1-1.
That goal seemed to awaken a Stars side that had gone to sleep during the second half.
Steve Kompphela’s men pushed forward and found the winner with seven minutes left on the clock.
Saname Wome created the goal with some good work down the left where he supplied a low cross into the box and Manqele made no mistake tucking the ball home for six-yards out for his second goal of the game, 2-1.
That goal proved to be the winner as Stars picked up their first three points of 2012.
Free State Stars (1) 2 (Manqele 6’ + 83’)
AmaZulu (0) 1 (Lewis 74’)
Teams
Stars: Mtshali; Gilbert, Gcaba, Gege, Mashaba, Wome (Wiltwater 92’), Brown (Mosikidi 62’), Masehe, Manqele, Mashego, Agbagwu (Sekgobela 73’)
AmaZulu: Kapini; Mokoro, Nyadombo, Kasonga, Chavula, Senamela, Sangweni (Zhuwawo 68’), Kgatla, Mbele (Zwane 62’), A. Dlamini, G. Dlamini (Lewis 46’)
