AmaZulu chairman Sandile Zungu says his business in the off-season transfer window will justify the club’s decision to release 15 players.
Usuthu ended in second place in the DStv Premiership in 2021 under former head coach Benni McCarthy, who was dismissed last season amid a run of bad results.
Brandon Truter managed to steady the ship with a seventh-placed finish and a spot in the MTN8 to earn a full-time contract.
And Usuthu have since signed eight players, namely Gabadinho Mhango, Dumisani Zuma, Ethan Brooks, Thendo Mukumela, Veluyeke Zulu, Riaan Hanamub, Augustine Kwem and Rally Bwalya to counter the significant number of departures.
Zungu told the Sowetan: “People like to talk about things they don’t know. We’re not cutting costs… people are just lazy to think. What I am doing here is building a team that can have a spine for the next six years at least. We want a team that will sustain us, hence we’re buying younger players.
“A 26-year-old player can still give you a good six years but a 32-year-old can only give you at least two good years. We’re happy with how we’ve done our business and the kind of players we’ve signed show that we want to compete.”
Zungu added that the club are still looking at two other potential signings alongside two assistant coaches.
“We’re working very hard to get the assistant coaches. We will finalize that one soon because we want to go into the pre-season with them,” he revealed.
“I can say we’re done in the market but the’re two players we’re talking to. We’re not going to push them hard because we don’t need them as badly but if they accept what we offered, we’ll take them.”