Youngster Siyanda Hlangabeza has helped to stabilise the AmaZulu midfield this season. The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) based clubs are slowly but surely showing that they are not in the top flight just to make up the numbers, as they’ve displayed grit and determination over the last few months to earn respectable positions in the Betway Premiership. Last season, AmaZulu and Richards Bay carried the province’s torch in the league, both earning respectable top-eight finishes, while Lamontville Golden Arrows did just enough to stay afloat and away from the drop zone.
The trio have continued with their respective strides this season. As a result, the returning Durban City – formerly known as Maritzburg United – have hardly looked out of place either, as the quartet finished the year in decent positions. Established in 1932, AmaZulu are the oldest club in the PSL but over the years, they’ve failed to build a consistently successful team that the people of the Zulu nation and their wider support base could fully take pride in.
However, all is not lost, the club’s decision to retain Arthur Zwane as the sole head coach, along with the integration of youngsters into the squad, has produced positive returns in recent months. Not only are Usuthu playing eye-catching football – with pace and trickery from youngsters such as Siyanda Hlangabeza, Nkosikhona Radebe, Liam Bern, and Minenhle Ngcobo – but their play has also been constructive and effective. Usuthu finished fifth on the log before the AFCON break with 24 points, level with fourth-placed Kaizer Chiefs.
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If anything, that finish augurs well for the club’s aspirations as president Sandile Zungu’s vision is to turn the team into consistent top-four contenders. The Citizens’ return to the top flight has been topsy-turvy. While they’ve done fairly well in the league to accumulate points for a “new team,” their boardroom decisions have left a bittersweet taste in recent months.
Former coach Gavin Hunt, working with a blend of inexperienced and seasoned campaigners, held his own as the team collected 19 points from 14 games despite an inconsistent, hard-to-identify playing style that mixed long balls with building from the back. But just when it seemed Hunt was finding his groove again – after critics suggested his best days were behind him – the club abruptly pulled the plug on their relationship, terminating his contract with immediate effect. Hunt was not the only high-ranking figure to leave City; the technical director Ernst Middendorp lasted only three months in the job. That’s why City will have to hold tightly to the positives of this year as they head into the second half of the season if they hope to stay afloat.
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