AmaZulu FC will lock horns with Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday in a DStv Premiership encounter at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium in Durban. Kick-off is at 7:30 pm CAT, live on SuperSport.
TEAM FORM
Usuthu are licking their wounds at the moment as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy in the Carling Knockout over the weekend and it was their second successive loss across all competitions.
AmaZulu are occupying the 11th spot on the DStv Premiership standings - three points behind sixth-placed Moroka Swallows, but the former have a game in hand and a win over Sundowns would see Usuthu climb into the top eight.
Meanwhile, Sundowns are also a wounded lion after they saw their three-match unbeaten run across all competitions come to an end when they suffered a 1-0 loss to TP Mazembe in the CAF Champions League on Saturday.
Masandawana are still placed at the top of the DStv Premiership standings - two points above second-placed Cape Town City, but the former have four games in hand and they will be keen to extend their lead with a win over Usuthu.
TEAM NEWS
AmaZulu will be without striker Augustine Chidi Kwem who is suspended while right-back Thembela Sikhakhane remains out injured.
Sundowns, on the other hand, will be without the services of the suspended Bongani Zungu. Injury-prone Rushine de Reuck has rejoined the Tshwane giants' long injury list.
WHAT WAS SAID
AmaZulu FC head coach Pablo Franco Martin
“We have this fighting spirit even when we conceded the third goal, and we are scoring the second one. I think we could have done better," Pablo Franco said.
"If we are doing better, even if there are mistakes from someone else, we could have gotten a better result. This is what we need to control and what we need to work on doing the things that we can control better, play better football,
"And try to be more accurate and of course recover our capacity to defend well because this is what gave us better results."
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Rhulani Mokwena
“In football, you can win, lose or draw, so no result surprises me because when you start the match you either win, lose, or draw," Mokwena said.
"Today we lost the game even though I think the team with better chances lost the match. I still need to watch the game, that’s why I can’t say we were the better team
"But I know we had so many chances and we should have scored."
AmaZulu FC: PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sere Junior Dion: The influential forward grabbed a goal and an assist during AmaZulu's clash against Galaxy. Dion could be the man to inspire the KwaZulu-Natal giants to a victory over Sundowns.
Victor Letsoalo: With Kwem suspended, the proven goalscorer looks set to feature against Sundowns and he will be determined to impress in order to cement his place in the team's starting line-up.
Mamelodi Sundowns: PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lucas Ribeiro Costa: The lethal attacker has impressively netted six goals from seven matches in the DStv Premiership for Downs this season. Ribeiro will be confident of continuing his scoring form.
Peter Shalulile: The prolific striker has scored in three of his last four matches across all competitions for Sundowns and he will be hoping to play an instrumental role in helping Masandawana overcome Usuthu.
Head-to-Head
LAST 10 LEAGUE RESULTS
Season Result Scorers
2018/19 AmaZulu 3-3 Sundowns Ncube, Ncobeni, Ntuli; Mahlambi, Silva, Vilakazi
2018/19 Sundowns 0-2 AmaZulu Langerman (og), Karuru
2019/20 Sundowns 1-0 AmaZulu Meza
2019/20 AmaZulu 0-3 Sundowns Vilakazi, Zwane 2 (1 pen)
2020/21 Sundowns 4-3 AmaZulu Zwane 3, Shalulile; Majoro, Memela, Khumalo
2020/21 AmaZulu 0-0 Sundowns
2021/22 Sundowns 1-0 AmaZulu Zwane (pen)
2021/22 AmaZulu 1-0 Sundowns Mulenga
2022/23 Sundowns 1-0 AmaZulu Allende
2022/23 AmaZulu 2-2 Sundowns Mphalele, Dion; Zungu, Shalulile
LEAGUE RECORD (since 1985)
Home
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 33 3 9 21 19 55
Sundowns 32 20 6 6 65 29
Away
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 32 6 6 20 29 65
Sundowns 33 21 9 3 55 19
Total
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 65 9 15 41 48 120
Sundowns 65 41 15 9 120 48