Former Kaizer Chiefs boss Arthur Zwane has stated that securing a top-three finish this season is still a very real possibility for his AmaZulu squad.
The Usuthu boss is brimming with optimism despite the team currently sitting in seventh place in the Betway Premiership.
With 33 points from 25 matches, AmaZulu face a challenging but not insurmountable task. They trail Sekhukhune United, who currently occupy the coveted third spot, by just four points, although Sekhukhune have played two fewer games (37 points from 23 matches).
Riding the momentum of a recent 1-0 victory over Richards Bay, AmaZulu are gearing up for a crucial away fixture against Stellenbosch next week Saturday. Zwane’s confidence appears to stem from a strong belief in his players’ capabilities and the character they’ve displayed throughout the campaign.
Speaking to Sowetan, Zwane emphasized the agency his team holds in their destiny, directly linking their performance in the remaining five matches to their potential qualification for the CAF Confederation Cup.
He stressed the necessity of winning all their remaining games and lauded the squad’s resilience, especially considering the initial low expectations surrounding their performance at the start of the season.
Zwane said in the Sowetan: “The ball is in our hands. It’s all up to us if we want to go and play in the Confederation Cup, it is all up to us.
The fifty-one year old pointed out that AmaZulu have had multiple opportunities to break into the top three, suggesting that capitalizing on just six more points from those chances would have already solidified their position.
“It is how we are going to execute ourselves in the next coming games. We need to win all the games and when I look at the squad we have assembled, the character we’ve shown this season is good,” he remarked.
“When we started people saw us as a relegation team, but now we actually had five attempts to be in position three,” the head coach added.
“You can imagine if we took advantage, and we are talking about six points, and that would have secured a top three spot for us,” added the Usuthu boss.
“I always believe that certain things happen for a reason. We are learning every day and our players are growing in stature.”
With the Nedbank Cup semi-finals taking place this weekend, AmaZulu are in action next against Stellenbosch on Saturday, 18 April 2025. Kick off is set for 20h00 at the Danie Craven Stadium in the Western Cape.