Abbubaker Mobara of AmaZulu FC challenges Evidence Makgopa of Orlando Pirates during the Betway Premiership 2024/25 match at Orlando Stadium on Friday night. BackpagePix
As AmaZulu’s woeful start to the 2024/2025 season continues, new arrival and co-coach Vusumuzi ‘Kanu’ Vilakazi has called for calm heads.
Usuthu suffered a fifth defeat in a row on Friday as two goals from Orlando Pirates youngster Mohau Nkota saw them return from Soweto empty-handed.
The KwaZulu Natal-based outfit has shown glimpses of their potential this season but have simply not been good enough and are currently rooted at the bottom of the Betway Premiership standings after four games.
Following the departure of Pablo Franco Martin a month ago, Usuthu elected to go for the local expertise of Arthur Zwane and Vusumuzi Vilakazi as a co-coaching duo.
The pair have been dealt tough cards at the start of their tenure with clashes against Stellenbosch and Pirates which they have subsequently lost.
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Not our day, but we'll keep fighting.
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Despite this fact, Vilakazi insists it would be rash to ring the alarm bells at this point.
"I think we can be worried, yes, but I don't think that we need to panic at this stage in time, considering the fact that – before the Carling Knockout game, we only had 10 days with the team," said Vilakazi at the post-match press conference.
"So I think it's work in progress, it's just unfortunate that while that work is in progress, we are suffering in terms of getting that win.
At the core of Usuthu’s problems this season has been their inability to keep the ball out of their own net having failed to do so in all five of their games this season.
The club have conceded ten goals in five matches in all competitions already, a horrid record Vilakazi and Zwane are determined to set straight moving forward.
“We strongly believe there are a lot of positives we can take going forward. We just need to align a few areas, especially our defensive structure."
"Teams are scoring (against AmaZulu) very easily, but we find it very difficult to score goals, even though we do create scoring opportunities," he added.
With tricky fixtures against Chippa United and then Richards Bay, Kanu and Zwane are desperate to have their imprint on the group, one that will allow them to not only express themselves but also avoid the concession of goals.
"We just need to balance the two in terms of the proper defensive structure, and also try to be clinical in front of goals. So it's work in progress, but we don't have time, we have to work.
“But I think with this break that we will get now for four weeks, I think it will be much better for us, but we are playing at home on Tuesday so we need to make sure we dominate and get the three points, which is very important for us.”
Usuthu will return to the field next Tuesday as they welcome the Chilli Boys to the Moses Mabhida Stadium.