Arthur Zwane is a players’ coach. As such he’s not faulting his AmaZulu troops for lack of effort after their goalless draw with Golden Arrows over the weekend.
AmaZulu have been on an upward trajectory since Zwane and fellow co-coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi took over the reins, winning four games out of nine.
The duo could have added to the team’s resurgence when they faced Arrows as they were, arguably, the better side of the two. But they were let down by their poor finishing.
Usuthu were so good that they struck the woodwork twice against their KZN arch-rivals, showing their intentions of wanting to build on the win over Cape Town City before the New Year.
However, “10111”, as Zwane is affectionately known, didn’t throw his players under the bus during his post-match reactions, saying they gave their all.
“I think they did everything that we planned for. It’s just that their application here and there was not up to scratch,” Zwane explained.
“But as coaches, we always understand that players are human beings. So, they are bound to make mistakes which can be costly.
“When you look at the chances that they created, on the front foot we were having the ball. Then all of the sudden we gave a wrong pass, and then we are now defending.
“It was a bit disappointing. But like I said, we can’t fault the effort of the guys - they did very well, especially looking at the weather and humility. It was always going to be difficult.”
🎙️🟢⚪️ Coach Zwane is pleased with the guys' effort in the #DurbanDerby but feels we deserved more.#BetwayPrem #HebeUsuthu #UsuthuTogether pic.twitter.com/NjVs41hLgS
— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) January 5, 2025
Indeed, it was always going to be difficult. So much so that Usuthu didn’t only fail to convert their chances because they were playing alone.
Arrows’ goalkeeper Ismail Watenga ensured that he salvaged a point for his side as he made some daring saves which even surprised coach Musa Bilankulu.
“I believe that both teams wanted to win the game. I could see how the offensive play was,” Bilankulu conceded.
“AmaZulu created a lot of chances, and I could say the same thing about us. Watenga was brilliant, and that’s why he was voted the Player of the Match.
“Some of the saves he pulled off were unthinkable. But he kept us in the game, and it was important to go to half-time goalless.
“We knew they’d pose a threat with their fullbacks climbing high, and wingers coming inside. They also tried to overload the midfield as well.”