AmaZulu back in the race for third after crucial Richards Bay win

The race for a place in the CAF Confederation Cup has been thrown wide open, with inconsistency among teams outside the top two leaving the prize unclaimed. Yet, with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Richards Bay FC, AmaZulu FC have once again stamped their mark on the contest.

Usuthu currently sit third on the table with 34 points, level with third placed Sekhukhune United. They are closely followed by Kaizer Chiefs, who trail them by just one point. Although AmaZulu have played two more matches than the Soweto giants, they remain firmly in contention for a top-three finish.

The victory over Richards Bay came at an important time for Usuthu, who had gone five matches without a win in all competitions prior to that result. With the race for the top positions intensifying, the timely win ensured they kept their hopes of a strong finish alive.

This season has also seen clubs from KwaZulu-Natal grow increasingly competitive compared to previous campaigns. With several teams raising their level, AmaZulu  — along with Durban City — remain well placed inside the top eight and still have a realistic chance of finishing as high as third. 

Meanwhile, Richards Bay and Golden Arrows are also pushing strongly as they look to secure their places in the top half of the table.

AmaZulu last achieved a top-two finish in the 2020/21 season when they ended as runners-up to Mamelodi Sundowns. While replicating that achievement may prove difficult this time around, the team has shown enough promise to suggest they could secure third place, which would guarantee qualification for next season’s Confederation Cup.

Assistant coach Simo Dladla has welcomed the growing competitiveness among teams in the province. Although local fixtures come with the advantage of reduced travel — as was the case in their clash against the Natal Rich Boys — he emphasised that, as the oldest club in KwaZulu-Natal, AmaZulu carry the responsibility of consistently delivering results regardless of the opposition.

“The expectations for us, especially as the oldest team in the KZN province, come with huge pressure,” Dladla said.

“There is an old saying that charity begins at home, so that means we have to be dominant in the province before we can think about dominating other teams in the league.”

The former Durban City coach has also been pleased with the quality and experience available within the squad. 

Players such as former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Hendrick Ekstein and former Orlando Pirates attacker Thabiso Kutumela have played important roles, while he also praised the recent contributions of Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya despite the forward missing several chances in recent matches.

“We have seasoned players in strategic positions. Against Richards Bay we were structured in that way — we had Kutumela, and previously we had Ngwenya who was out through suspension,” Dladla said.

“He is a player we are happy with in terms of his progress and his return to scoring goals. Yes, he still misses a lot of chances, but today the experience came through. 

We still created opportunities but it took individual brilliance and experience from Kutumela. Not only him, but players like (Riaan) Hanamub at the back are there for specific reasons — it’s all part of the strategy.”

* Obakeng Meletse is Independent Media’s multi-sport writer. For fresh video content, follow our YouTube channel The Clutch