AmaZulu striker Ngwenya chasing place among club’s all-time greats

Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya has made a remarkable start to the season and is already being linked with the greatest strikers in AmaZulu FC’s history.

The 23-year-old Zimbabwean international scored five times in his first four matches, taking him to the top of the Betway Premiership scoring charts. His goals have also helped AmaZulu move up to fourth place in the table, while his outstanding form earned him the Betway Premiership Player of the Month award for August.

Ngwenya’s early-season impact has revived memories of the forwards who have played a defining role in AmaZulu’s history. If he can maintain his current level, the Zimbabwean could eventually be recognised alongside some of the club’s most celebrated goalscorers.

Among those names is the late Bonginkosi “Bongi” Ntuli, AmaZulu’s all-time leading scorer with 36 goals. Ntuli became particularly important during the 2019/20 season, when he scored 12 of the club’s 14 goals at one stage of the campaign and helped Usuthu avoid relegation.

His ability to deliver when AmaZulu were under pressure, combined with his consistent finishing, established Ntuli as a club legend. He died in November 2023.

Lehlohonolo Majoro is another striker whose contribution remains firmly established in AmaZulu folklore. During his first spell with the club in the 2010/11 season, Majoro scored 11 goals before securing a move to Kaizer Chiefs.

He returned to AmaZulu in 2019 and went on to score a further 46 league goals over four seasons. That second spell underlined the durability and consistency that have characterised the careers of the club’s leading forwards.

George Dearnaley also occupies a special place in the club’s history. His finishing played an important part in AmaZulu’s 1992 Coca-Cola Cup final victory over Kaizer Chiefs, with Dearnaley scoring in the match.

Ngwenya still has a considerable distance to travel before he can match the achievements of those players. However, five goals in four matches have given AmaZulu supporters an early indication that he could become the latest forward to leave a lasting mark on the club.

The Durban faithful will now hope their Zimbabwean star can sustain his form and continue to drive AmaZulu up the Betway Premiership table.