Arthur Zwane rules out AmaZulu exit after Sekhukhune United interest

Arthur Zwane has insisted he will not walk away from AmaZulu FC’s “long‐term project” despite reported interest from Sekhukhune United following Usuthu’s fourth-place finish in the Betway Premiership.

The 51-year-old head coach, who took sole charge of AmaZulu’s first team in 2024, has been linked with a move to the Limpopo club, with reports suggesting Sekhukhune United put forward a more lucrative offer to tempt him away from Durban.

However, speaking to Ukhozi FM, Zwane said there had never been any serious doubt inside AmaZulu about his future and stressed he remains fully committed to the vision laid out by club president Sandile Zungu.

“The truth is every time when the season comes to an end, there will always be future talks, as to whether the coach did well or not,” Zwane said. “Yes, those talks emerged but myself, president and the CEO, we always knew what the plan of the club would be.

“That’s why there was no one panicking that any members of the technical team or myself would leave because this is a project that was explained to me by president Sandile Zungu when he appointed me.”

‘Not a project I would ditch’

Zwane, the former Kaizer Chiefs mentor, said the project he signed up for at AmaZulu is too important to abandon, regardless of the kind of offers that might come from elsewhere.

“To me, this project means a lot because it took me out from where I was for years. So, it wasn’t just a project I would ditch just because I’m hearing some whispers,” he said.

He described AmaZulu as an environment where he feels both personally and professionally fulfilled and believes the club can help him reach new heights in his coaching career.

“The project of AmaZulu is like that, I feel it has God’s spirit, it has a lot of spiritual things that happened. It can grow me and I can do a lot of great things there.

“People can approach me, but if I still feel good where I am and considering how I was welcomed to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, nothing will change my mind even if people come with a billion dollars.

“I know things that will make my career blossom and the things that will make me proud. That will sustain me to continue to grow.

“So, I can’t leave such a project. Having achieved what we have achieved thus far, maybe tomorrow we will be going for position three.”

Impressive first full season

Zwane initially arrived at AmaZulu in 2024 as co-head coach alongside Vusumuzi Vilakazi before being handed full responsibility for the first team.

In his first full campaign at the helm, he steered Usuthu to fourth in the Betway Premiership, only narrowly missing out on a place in the CAF Confederation Cup. That performance is understood to have alerted Sekhukhune United, who reportedly attempted to capitalise on his rising stock with a better financial package.

Zwane, though, indicated that the clarity of AmaZulu’s long-term planning, set out by the club’s hierarchy when they hired him, outweighed any short-term financial incentives.

Loyalty and patience

Reflecting on his playing days, Zwane said his approach to his career has always been shaped by loyalty and a willingness to be patient, and he believes those values still guide him in management.

“Even when I was a player, people used to come to me, approaching me. But I knew what I wanted and I always chose it and I believe it helped me to have a long career which players can learn from.

“So, you shouldn’t run after things when your current workplace is good to you. The reason why I had a long stay where I previously worked is because I didn’t run after things.”

Zwane now hopes to build on AmaZulu’s recent progress, suggesting that the club’s next step is to push even higher up the Betway Premiership table while he continues to grow within the structure already in place.