South African debutants AmaZulu beat Algeria’s ES Setif by a solitary goal in Durban on Friday to cement their hold on second spot in Group B of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Amigo Memela’s goal in the 42nd minute was the difference as Usuthu picked up their second consecutive group stage win to move to six points.
It was a competitive tie between the two sides, but on the balance of chances, it was the hosts who commanded more of the action in the final third.
Siphelele Mthembu had a golden chance to hit the home side infront when he dribbled past the goalkeeper after a defensive blunder from Setif, but he could not hit the target from a tight angle.
Zambian Augustine Mulenga also had an opportunity infront of goal but placed his shot wide.
Setif’s best chance of the opening half was on the half hour mark, but Ziti Khoutir forced a golden save off the AmaZulu keeper when he struck at goal with a well executed acrobatic attempt.
But it was the hosts who would break the deadlock, Mmela curling in a brilliant ball from outside the box, to give his side a 1-0 advantage three minutes to the break.
In the second half, the South Africans continued to press, but couldn’t add on to their tally. Despite some late pressure from Setif, Benny McCarthy’s men secured the victory to boost their quarter final hopes.
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