AmaZulu maintained their push for CAF football after they scored a late goal to beat Polokwane City 1-0 at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday.
Thapelo Matlhoko stepped off the bench to register his first goal for the club in the 87th minute as Arthur Zwane's side went three points clear of Sekhukhune United in third place.
Rise And Shine (7th) are still in the top eight, but they have now gone three games without a win and saw Stellenbosch close within one point of them in eighth position.
Polokwane played out to a 0-0 draw with Babina Noko most recently and had only picked up six points from their last five outings, while Usuthu were looking to build on their 2-1 derby victory over Richards Bay on March 14.
Neither team created many chances in the first half, although it was the hosts who came closest to breaking the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Jean Mutudza rattled the crossbar with a free-kick.
Mokibelo Ramabu then forced Olwethu Mzimela into a point-blank range with a header from Tlou Nkwe moments later, but the score remained unchanged at the break.
The KZN outfit made a bright start to the second half and Hendrick Ekstein tested Lindokuhle Mathebula with a curling effort from the edge of the box on 49 minutes before Mzimela was called into action at the other end to parry Ramabu's header away from danger.
Bonginkosi Dlamini wasted a golden opportunity to open the scoring when he latched onto a through-ball from Nkwe and missed the target.
It would come back to bite them three minutes from time as Matlhoko got ahead of his marker to poke home Riaan Hanamub's cross to snatch all three points for the visitors.
Polokwane City 0
AmaZulu (0) 1 (Matlhoko 87')
Polokwane City: L. Mathebula, S. Manthosi, B. Nikani, E. Ramaja, T. Nkwe, B. Dlamini (S. Motsa 90+3'), M. Kambala, N. Maphangule, J. Mutudza (P. Marema 73'), M. Ramabu (S. Mashinini 82'), T. Tshikweta (R. Daniels 74').
AmaZulu: O. Mzimela, K. Allan, T. Fielies, S. Mthethwa, N. Radebe (G. Lopes 90+1'), S. Zikhali (L. Bern 90+1'), S. Hlangabeza (B. Zungu 68'), R. Hanamub, A. Maqokola (A. Sithole 68'), T. Kutumela (T. Matlhoko 68'), H. Ekstein.