AmaZulu face TP Mazembe in Caf Champions League second round after Nyasa Big Bullets 3-1 victory
AmaZulu progressed to the next round of the Caf Champions League after claiming a 3-1 victory away to Nyasa Big Bullets in the second leg of their preliminary round tie.
The South African side lost 1-0 in the first leg at home and needed to overturn the tie in the second leg to progress to the next round.
On the way to overturning the deficit, Benni McCarthy went for two strikers upfront as Bongninkosi Ntulo partnered Siphelele Mthembu in the attack while Philani Zulu replaced Tercious Malepe at left-back.
Ntuli repaid the faith in the fourth minute as he converted a penalty after a Bullets defender was adjudged to have handled the ball on the goal-line.
It got better for Usuthu and Ntuli after 11 minutes as the striker combined with Mthembu before finding the back of the net a neat finish to put his side 2-1 up on aggregate.
The Dstv Premiership managed to hold their clean sheet until the interval but they were unable to add to their two-goal advantage, although Ntuli did go close just before the break.
Big Bullets gave themselves some hope shortly after the break when Henry Kabuchi found the back of the net on 50 minutes to make 2-1 on the day and 3-2 on aggregate.
However, that joy did not last too long as Mthembu added a third goal for Usuthu five minutes later after being set up by his striker Ntuli to restore Usuthu’s two-goal advantage.
McCarthy’s charges were able to see out the rest of the second half to secure the victory and sealed a spot in the second preliminary round where they will face TP Mazembe.
