Harambee Stars duo Jackson Imbiakha and Moses Shumah were left out of AmaZulu's matchday squad as Usuthu opened their 2026/27 South Africa Premiership campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Stellenbosch on Saturday.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsDespite missing the two Kenyan players, Arthur Zwane's side got their season off to the perfect start at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, with Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya's second-half penalty proving enough to separate the two teams.##NAJAVA_MECA_9874971##Imbiakha's absence was hardly surprising, as the central defender is yet to be officially unveiled by the Durban-based club despite already training and featuring during their pre-season program.The former Mombasa Elite defender was part of the squad that lifted the KwaZulu-Natal Premier Cup last weekend after AmaZulu defeated newly promoted Milford in the final.Shumah, meanwhile, also missed out despite making his unofficial debut for the club during the same pre-season tournament following his move from Zambian champions Power Dynamos last month.Double blow for Gor Mahia as duo sidelined ahead of Kagame Cup semi-finalThe former Kakamega Homeboyz striker was introduced from the bench during the competition and is expected to challenge for a place in the squad once the season gathers momentum.On the pitch, AmaZulu looked composed from the opening whistle but struggled to carve out clear-cut chances during a tightly contested first half.The breakthrough finally arrived shortly after the restart when Athini Maqokola burst into the penalty area before being brought down by Stellenbosch defender Mosa Lebusa.Tusker again shop for goalkeeper in Congo after Pavelh Ndzila joins ShabanaThe referee pointed straight to the spot, and Ngwenya made no mistake from 12 yards, sending goalkeeper Sage Stephens the wrong way to hand AmaZulu a priceless lead.Stellenbosch coach Gavin Hunt responded with a raft of substitutions, introducing Devin Titus and Siviwe Nwali before handing debuts to Keanan Johannesen and George Matlou in search of an equaliser.However, AmaZulu stood firm to protect their slender advantage and secure all three points in their opening league assignment.Nairobi United add proven firepower with signing of Harambee Stars strikerThe victory extends the momentum built during pre-season, where Usuthu lifted the KwaZulu-Natal Premier Cup and offered further encouragement that Zwane's rebuilding project is heading in the right direction.After guiding AmaZulu to a fourth-place finish last season, narrowly missing out on a podium finish behind Kaizer Chiefs, Zwane believes his side can take another significant step forward this campaign."We really want to improve our position from last season, and we are desperate to see ourselves campaigning in CAF inter-club competitions," said Zwane.##NAJAVA_MECA_9872401##"We are a hardworking team, and I want us to adopt that underdog mentality throughout the season."
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