Arthur Zwane blames fatigue after AmaZulu fall to Betway Premiership leaders Orlando Pirates

Relebohile Mofokeng opened the scoring for the Buccaneers at the Moses Mabhida Stadium after 15 minutes.

Usuthu goalkeeper Darren Johnson was then credited with an own goal in the fourth minute of injury time at the end of the match.

Zwane's side came into this game after playing two matches the previous week, where they beat TS Galaxy 3-2 and Marumo Gallants 1-0.

Speaking after the game, the head coach told SuperSport: "We needed to manage the players because we only had one day to prepare the team. The idea was to try and refresh the squad, but unfortunately in the first half we were a bit sluggish.

"Our reaction speed was very slow, and when you play a quality team like Pirates, (you get punished if) you're a little bit slow in defending, coming out of tight situations and connecting in transition. We played in dribs and drabs."

"We left a lot there. We fought tooth and nail to get those points away from home," Zwane added.

AmaZulu are next in action against Polokwane City in the Nedbank Cup last 32 on Tuesday.