Zwane calls for AmaZulu reaction against in-form Orlando Pirates

AmaZulu head coach Arthur Zwane wants his side to respond immediately to their painful MTN8 exit when they face defending Betway Premiership champions Orlando Pirates on Wednesday.

The Durban club’s next fixture comes after a dramatic 4-3 defeat by Sekhukhune United at Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday, a result that eliminated AmaZulu from the MTN8 quarter-finals.

Zwane admitted his team’s defensive mistakes had proved costly but said there would be no time to dwell on the disappointment, with Orlando Pirates awaiting them in midweek.

“Now we have Pirates, we’ve got to redeem ourselves,” Zwane said following the defeat.

The AmaZulu manager also stressed the importance of recovery as his players prepare to meet a Pirates side that won at the weekend.

“It’s not going to be an easy one, and we’re playing against a Pirates team that won at the weekend.

“So we’ve got to make sure that now the players do the right things in terms of recovery, and they eat well and drink a lot of water, so that they can be fully recovered when the time comes.”

The defeat by Sekhukhune was particularly damaging because AmaZulu had conceded four goals against the same opponents in February 2025, before suffering another heavy setback against Babina Noko.

Zwane said conceding so freely was out of character for his side and called on his players to learn from the errors that allowed Sekhukhune to score four times.

“We conceded four goals. It’s unlike us. We are not a team that does that easily, you know, conceding goals like this. And yeah, hopefully we will learn from this one and rectify those mistakes,” Zwane added.

AmaZulu currently occupy sixth place in the Betway Premiership standings after playing one league match. They opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Stellenbosch FC.

Maintaining that early momentum will be a difficult task against an Orlando Pirates team that has made a strong start to the season.

The Sea Robbers are second in the league table and remain unbeaten in the Betway Premiership after winning their opening match. They then secured their place in the MTN8 semi-finals with an extra-time victory over Durban City.

Orlando Pirates’ current form adds further pressure to a fixture in which AmaZulu will be looking to recover both defensively and psychologically from their weekend disappointment.

The Betway Premiership match will take place on Wednesday evening at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium in Durban. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:30.