AmaZulu ended their six-game winless run in the DStv Premiership after edging ten-man Cape Town City 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.
The Citizens made four changes following their draw against Sekhukhune United, as they recalled Khanyisa Mayo, Thamsanqa Masiya, Mark Van Heerden and Heaven Sereets.
Usuthu, meanwhile, made a similar number of changes, as they brought back Victor Letsoalo, Tshepang Moremi, Ethan Brooks and Taariq Fielies.
Due to extreme weather conditions, the match was played without supporters in the stadium.
Both sides created chances in the early exchanges but they were not clinical in front of goal.
City were reduced to ten men on 26 minutes after Keanu Cupido was red-carded for denying AmaZulu a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Eric Tinkler sacrificed Darwin Gonzalez just after the half-hour mark, as he brought on Patrick Fisher and the home side managed the game to stretch it to half-time goalless.
The sides took time to get going early in the second stanza as Sereets brought the game to life on the hour-mark with a strike in the box that was well saved by shot-stopper Veli Mothwa.
Pablo Franco Martin made a double attacking change with 22 minutes to go, as Sede Dion and Augustine Mulenga both came on for Hendrick Ekstein and Mondli Mbanjwa.
The changes made immediate impact, as Dion eventually broke the deadlock just three minutes later with a strike from a rebound after a shot by Letsoalo hit the post.
City went for a direct approach in attack in the last ten minutes, as Jo Paciencia replaced Mayo and the Mother City outfit pressurized AmaZulu despite being a man down but struggled to create clear chances.
In the end, AmaZulu held on to a narrow win that took them up to 11th on the log.
Confirmed line-ups:
Cape Town City: Keet, Mkhize, Cupido, Van Heerden, Goedeman, Mokhuoane, Petrus, Kutumela, Heaven, Mayo, Gonzalez
Subs: Mpandle, Ramazani, Slatsha, Rhodes, Ah Shene, Fisher, Paciencia, Lehsabela
AmaZulu: Mothwa, Sikhakhane, Hanamub, Mphahlele, Fieles, Brooks, Motshwari, Moremi, Letsoalo, Mbanjwa, Ekstein
Subs: Mzimela, Ngobeni, Jooste, Gumede, Human, Maluleka, Dion, Ndlovu, Mulenga
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