AmaZulu's Arthur Zwane anticipates dogfight against SuperSport in Betway Premiership

AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane expected the final stretch of the season to be a dogfight for all 15 teams currently active in the Betway Premiership. 

Zwane will take his Usuthu side to the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday for a 7:30 pm kick-off with hopes of keeping up his side’s momentum. The KwaZulu Natal-based club will attempt to win three games on the trot for the first time this season. 

Currently placed fifth on the league standings, Usuthu will head into Wednesday’s fixtures with the opportunity to climb as high as third on the table if results go their way.

The club and the coaching staff have always been vocal about their ambitions to return to continental football, and they’re currently presented with a realistic shot at CAF Confederation Cup football as they sit just two points off third-placed Sekhukhune United. 

The first of their last ten games of the season comes in the form of a Matsatsantsa outfit reeling from a shock defeat to Magesi FC last time. Gavin Hunt’s men have hit below their usual standards this season and are currently in 13th place, closer to the relegation zone than they are to a top-eight place.

However, Zwane believes this encounter against SuperSport will not be a stroll in the park for his AmaZulu as he expects every team to play with raised energy levels during this crucial point of the campaign. 

“All the teams right now (are dangerous). Did anyone expect Marumo Gallants to beat Orlando Pirates? When we played Gallants here, the game looked easy because we made it look easy on the day but it took a huge effort from the team,” he said after his side beat Cape Town City on Sunday.

“We won’t let this (result) fool us, we still have a long way to go, we must build a culture of winning and tactical dedication as well as determination.”

The 52-year-old mentor also further expressed the great importance of managing his squad during this period with a small turnaround time between matches. 

“It is vital that we package our games at this time, we knew that we would have a short time to prepare for the next game and the pitch was really heavy (against City) so it took a lot from the players so now we have to make sure there’s freshness in the squad,” he explained. 

“Once we get that right, then we’ll  have the right energy to approach the next game, and it’s going to be a tough one because in the past few weeks, we've been playing teams that have just lost, and they want to redeem themselves.” 

Usuthu will hope they’ll be able to complete an unfamiliar league double over SuperSport, having beaten them already this season.