AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane has labelled Orlando Pirates “the best team in the country” following their clash at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday night.
The Buccaneers claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory, a result that propelled them to the top of the Betway Premiership standings.
Once again, Pirates’ young star Relebohile Mofokeng stole the spotlight, playing a decisive role in both goals.
He opened the scoring with a rare headed effort before effectively sealing the win when his shot struck the post, rebounded off goalkeeper Darren Johnson, and trickled into the net.
The victory saw Pirates leapfrog defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns at the summit, opening up a three-point lead in what is shaping up to be an enthralling title race.
Zwane, who watched his side struggle to cope as they were often left chasing shadows, admitted his team had come up against the country’s form side.
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“I guess we all know that we played against a quality side. At the moment, when you look at how Orlando Pirates are playing, it is clear they are the best team in the country,” Zwane told the media after the match.
“They are the best right now in domestic football, there’s no doubt about it. We needed to manage them first, especially because we only had one day to prepare. We tried to refresh the squad and started with Pule (Ekstein) and Bongani (Zungu), but in the first half, we were a bit sluggish. Our reaction speed was slow, and I believe we could have been better.”
Despite the setback, Usuthu remain in the title conversation. A win over Pirates would have taken them to the top of the table, but they currently sit fourth on 30 points from 17 matches, five behind the league leaders.