But what ensued over the final 10 weeks of the season was a demonstration of sheer guts, a willpower to win and a fighting spirit like no other. It was almost the greatest escape ever witnessed in Premier Soccer League (PSL) history. It was not to be, though, as Usuthu fell three points short, suffering their first relegation in nine seasons in the process.
Coach Steve Barker was the man appointed to try and revive them from near death, having arrived when they were fixed to the bottom of the table with only four points from 11 games and the former University of Pretoria coach can bow out with his head held high.
The Durban club had started out the season on a real low. Craig Rosslee was in charge for most of that period, six games to be precise, overseeing not a single win, while his deputy Wilfred Mugeyi failed to resuscitate Usuthu in his five games at the helm. They were seven points adrift of Free State Stars at the start of December, and even though Barker won his first game in charge against Tuks, the seeds for disaster were already sewn.
