Sucker-punched Polokwane City left reeling after AmaZulu's smash-and-grab win

They call football the beautiful game. But Polokwane City will beg to differ.

Rise and Shine experienced the ugliness of the game in their own backyard Saturday afternoon, when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to AmaZulu in a Betway Premiership encounter they should have won.

Phuti Mohafe’s team looked to be in charge late on and should have scored through Dlamini on 77 minutes. Instead, they found themselves picking the ball from inside the net with just four minutes of play remaining, substitute Thapelo Matlhoko scoring the winner that saw Arthur Zwane’s men moving up to third place.

It was a goal from out of nowhere, AmaZulu fighting a rearguard battle and appearing to be holding on for the point. But they then managed to venture forward and, attacking on the left side, Riaan Hanamub made inroads into the home side’s half before delivering a seemingly innocuous low cross into the box.

The City goalkeeper appeared to have the situation covered as the ball approached his six-yard box, but then Matlhoko pounced and got a touch to the ball, directing it into the net.

Mohafe’s shock was understandable; after all, it was his team that had dictated matters and came closest to scoring. That opportunity which they had shortly before Usuthu scored the winner should have been better used.

A fantastic through-pass from just outside the box dissected the AmaZulu defence and Dlamini did brilliantly to run on to the ball. But he had one touch too many and when he shot, Mzimela had already narrowed the angle to pull off a good save.

The home side had also gotten close in the first half, but Adriaan Matudza’s free kick smashed against the crossbar with Mzimela a beaten man in the Usuthu goal. It just was not Polokwane’s day and at the end they got sucker-punched through a goal scored by the aptly-named Matlhoko, whose surname means ‘pains or trouble’.

The victory saw Usuthu take their points tally to 37 points from 22 matches to go up to third place, while City are stuck in seventh place with 29 points after 21 matches.