AmaZulu’s squad depth gives Arthur Zwane selection dilemma for MTN8 quarter-final

AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane says increased competition for places has created a “healthy headache” as his side prepare to host Sekhukhune United in the MTN8 quarter-finals on Sunday.

The match will take place at Chatsworth Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00, as AmaZulu begin their attempt to make a deeper run in the competition than last season.

Zwane admits he is still assessing the full potential of his squad after the opening stages of the campaign, but believes the strength of his available players is significantly greater than it was last season.

“Realistically, I’d be lying if I said I know where we are,” Zwane said at AmaZulu’s media open day at Kings Park Stadium on Wednesday. “The more we play, the better for us. Pre-season can tell you lies.”

AmaZulu began their Betway Premiership campaign with a win against Stellenbosch and now face a demanding sequence of fixtures. After Sunday’s knockout tie, they are due to meet Orlando Pirates in midweek before returning to league action against Siwelele next weekend.

The schedule is likely to require Zwane to rotate his team, but the coach believes he now has players capable of making a significant impact whenever they are selected.

“I’ve got a headache – a healthy headache,” Zwane said. “When I looked at our bench after the first game, I said these are genuine game changers. Any one of them deserves to start.”

That represents a change from last season, when injuries to key players restricted Zwane’s options and left AmaZulu short of cover in important positions.

The coach says the demands of the coming week will give more members of the squad an opportunity to contribute.

“We’re playing on Sunday, then again on Wednesday and again next weekend. Everyone will get an opportunity because these matches take a lot out of the players.”

Zwane also explained that AmaZulu’s recruitment strategy had been based on finding players suited to the club’s footballing identity, rather than signing recognised names simply because they had performed well elsewhere.

“We don’t go into the market just because players are doing well in their respective teams. We look for players who suit our style of play,” he said.

AmaZulu were eliminated by Stellenbosch, also known as Stellies, in the MTN8 quarter-finals last season. Zwane believes the experience gained by his youthful squad, together with the confidence generated by improved results, can help them progress this time.

Although he acknowledged that there is still more for the team to learn, he said the players now have greater belief in their ability to compete.

“We won more games last season and now we believe in ourselves even more,” he said. “We want to go to the next round. We’ll give it our best shot and hopefully we’ll be there.”

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