Nedbank - Round of 32 - Report
Maritzburg Utd 3 - Thanda Royal Zulu 2
PIETERMARITZBURG, March 08 (Nedbank Cup) – Bryce Aka’s extra-time header helped Maritzburg United seal their place in the next round of the Nedbank Cup after an entertaining victory over Thanda Royal Zulu on Sunday.
Fanyana Dhladhla and Fadlu Davids had given the hosts a comfortable lead at the Woodburn Stadium, but Nkosinathi Nhleko halved the deficit to leave his side trailing 2-1 at the break.
But Clifford Mulenga sstuck six minutes from the end to force extra time, before substitute Aka made his presence felt when he nodded home Sam Ndlovu’s free-kick early in extra time.
With both sides having bigger worries on their minds in the form of Absa Premier League survival, there were plenty of unfamiliar faces on show as coaches Gordon Igesund and Roger Palmgren kept one eye on the bigger picture for the season.
And it would have been the former who would have been smiling early on after his side went ahead after just three minutes.
Tonic Chabalala was clumsily dispossessed at the back by Dhladhla and the striker charged into the box on the right and fired in a powerful finish to put the Team of Choice ahead..
The lead was almost double not long after when Ndlovu’s corner-kick from the left almost curled in at the back post, but for Mandlenkosi Tsengwa’s intervention, with the goalkeeper managing to fingertip the ball away.
However, there was nothing the Thanda custodian could do about the second goal on the half-hourmark.
Another error from his defence saw the ball come to Tshepo Mashishi on the left and he delivered an excellent cross for Davids to head home.
Amabhubesi hit straight back though, when Nhleko turned away smartly from Siphiwe Mkhonza in the 34th minute on the left and forced his way into the box, before finishing powerfully to hand his side a lifeline.
The big striker again showed his power seconds later when he drew an excellent save from the Michel Babale with a dipping shot from 25-yards out as our boys ended the first half in the ascendancy.
Immediately after the restart a long ball from the Maritzburg defence was flicked on Davids, but Collen Zimba could only fire over from just outside the box as the hosts threatened a third.
After 65 minutes, Thanda missed the chance of the game after Mulenga stole the ball away from a hapless Babale, who tried to run the ball out of play wide on the left.
The Zambia attacker then played a pass to Nhleko inside the box, but his failure to shoot early saw the initial chance go begging, with Katlego Loke then pulling his strike across the face of goal when the ball eventually came to him on the right.
Nhleko then wasted another glorious opportunity to draw his side level after a fine pass from the left came to July Mahlangu and he headed the ball on to the striker, who somehow failed to find the target from six yards out.
Thanda continued to pour forward with Peter Ndlovu almost catching out Babale with his quickly taken 25-yard free-kick that flew narrowly wide, before the equaliser arrived close to the end when a poor back pass from Nhlanhla Sithole just inside the Maritzburg half saw Mulenga steal in and then finish low beyond Babale from the left side of the penalty area.
The hosts missed a golden chance to seal the game at the death when Aka sent in a dangerous cross from the right, which Tsengwa could only half-clear and the ball was sent back in, coming to Davids at the back-post, who missed from six-yards with the goalkeeper nowhere in sight.
However, Igesund seemed to have fired his troops up at the break with Aka scoring in the fourth minute of extra time.
Ndlovu delivered a teasing free-kick from the right that was lifted over a Thanda defender and goalkeeper Tsengwa as the home side retook the advantage.
Clement Mazibuko and Japie Motale both missed good chances to force the game into a penalty shoot-out as Thanda failed to progress at the first hurdle of a cup competition for the second time this season.