sportskeeda
AmaZulu co-coach Arthur Zwane stated that, if given the choice, he would have preferred to play on New Year’s Day after a significant win on Friday.
Amidst rainy conditions in Durban on Friday, Usuthu emerged victorious against Royal AM with a score of 2-1, with Hendrick Ekstein and Mlondi Mbanjwa netting goals in the first and second halves respectively.
Royal AM’s John Maduka saw his team score a consolation goal through Levy Mashiane in the second half, taking advantage of a misjudgment by Usuthu goalkeeper Richard Ofori after a powerful strike from Mfundo Thikazi.
As Royal AM sought an equalizer, Zwane and co-coach Vusi Vilakazi executed a tactical defensive strategy to maintain the lead, marking their third win of the season.
AmaZulu has climbed to 11th place on the Betway Premiership standings, gathering nine points from eight matches. They are set to face Mamelodi Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium on December 24th, following Sundowns’ recent hiring of Miguel Cardoso as their new head coach to succeed Manqoba Mngqithi.
“As South Africans, we often fall into complacency when things are going well,” Zwane noted.
“This is not the time for that. Tomorrow (Saturday), we return to training to prepare for the next match. I’m glad we have a game scheduled in December; we’ll be playing on the 24th, and then it will be Christmas.
“It is crucial to shift our players’ mindsets; they must recognize that this is a business – we are in the football business, and I have consistently emphasized that. We also have a match on December 29th (against Cape Town City away). I wish we had a game on the 1st of January like they do overseas. That would promote professionalism as it would help us avoid the December distractions we want to steer clear of.
“We have made it clear how important it is to gather points this December to improve our current situation. Performing well now will set us up for a more promising January, as we will have learned a great deal from these upcoming fixtures to enhance our performance.”
Zwane and Vilakazi, who took over from the underperforming Pablo Franco Martin, have instilled a fresh determination in the AmaZulu squad. Under Martin, AmaZulu lost their first three matches, positioning themselves at the bottom of the league table.
“I have seen much progress,” Zwane commented.
“The changes we’re making are minor, not drastic, because the previous coach had a solid structure but unfortunately was not able to secure results. It’s about fine-tuning the details in the game to uplift the players, building their confidence, and that’s what we are noticing.”
