Coach Zwane emphasises grit over glamour in Usuthu’s home victory

AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane couldn’t stop raving about his players’ fighting spirit after garnering their fifth successive league win over KwaZulu-Natal rivals Golden Arrows at Princess Magogo Stadium on Saturday.

Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya scored the only goal of the match, taking his tally to nine in the league to remain the top goal-scorer in the division thus far.

“In short, I would say we have soldiers; we have players that can take the pain,” Zwane said.

“This game [against Arrows] was so tight in such a way that we could not find many spaces. Normally we create three or four chances in a game, but today [Saturday] we struggled a bit to create.”

Zwane said it was imperative for Usuthu to win because it was a home fixture.

“What was key for us was that we’re playing at home; we needed to get maximum points, so credit to the players’ hard-fought win and the continuity we left off in terms of grinding results at home,” Zwane said, adding that beautiful football was secondary to them as they prioritise winning.

“Sometimes we play a scrappy game, but as long as we keep on winning, it’s OK because we are a team that’s growing.”

Usuthu now find themselves four points behind leaders Mamelodi Sundowns. Many have already started tipping them for a serious title challenge. However, Zwane wants his players to focus on playing football without paying attention to what people are saying amid their purple patch.

“We will find ways to make sure that our players don’t get distracted by the outside noise to remain focused on the job at hand.”

Usuthu’s next game is the Carling Knockout quarterfinal against Stellenbosch away on a yet-to-be confirmed date next weekend.

Other results

Kruger 3-1 Bay; Stellenbosch 0-2 Chippa; Polokwane 0-0 Galaxy; Milford 1-0 Sekhukhune; Sundowns 4-1 Durban; Pirates 2-1 Chiefs.