Durban — AmaZulu’s hopes for a potentially good season are already being scrutinized as the club endures its most difficult period under head coach Brandon Truter.
Truter and club owner Sandile Zungu are attempting to rebuild Usuthu into a team capable of challenging South African football’s powerhouses for the 2022-23 season. Usuthu’s 2022-23 squad has undergone extensive renovations.
Usuthu are experiencing their most difficult spell since Truter joined the club, a test of his ability to motivate his players and reestablish the kind of form that gained widespread attention in the season’s early matches.
The KwaZulu-Natal club climbed to the top of the league rankings with three wins and a tie in the first four matches, putting them in excellent position to grab the Quarter One innovation.
However, after two losses and a goalless draw against fellow strugglers Kaizer Chiefs, the team is presently in fifth place, with the spotlight on their shortcomings and their title hopes called into doubt.
At the heart of the club’s problems have been a porous and ever-changing defensive line, as well as the ill-disciplined attitude of its top scorers.
Chidi Kwem, one of Usuthu’s most valuable players this season, was sent off in the last minutes of their home loss to Chippa United, a concerning turn of events since they were already missing Gabadinho Mhango due to suspension.
The most dominant league champions of the past were built on the basis of well-organized and resilient defenses, qualities that Usuthu can only dream of at the moment, having kept only two clean sheets in their first seven games.
AmaZulu has committed to seek to end Mamelodi Sundowns’ dominance.
The club from Chloorkop dominates the domestic football scene and won their fifth consecutive league championship last year.
Over the years, they have demonstrated the importance of retaining clean sheets, most recently by winning the treble without allowing a goal in 13 consecutive matches.
Usuthu have acquired some of the most experienced and skilled players in the league, and perhaps the criticism they are receiving is excessively premature given the unpredictability of the current season.
Veli Mothwa, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, and George Maluleka must raise their hands before Sundowns or Orlando Pirates gain ground on them if the club is to remain in contention until the closing stages of the season.
@ScribeSmiso