AmaZulu set sights on more wins against South Africa’s big three

AmaZulu want to establish a record of regularly defeating Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs as they continue their progress under coach Arthur Zwane, says defender Sandile Mthethwa.

The club also hopes to see more of its players selected for Bafana Bafana, with Mthethwa convinced AmaZulu are moving in the right direction.

“We are in a process with coach Arthur. You can see that we are just growing since he started. In his first season we finished sixth and in his second season we finished fourth, so we are looking to improve this season by finishing in a better position than last season,” Mthethwa said.

“I think we are currently doing very well, but we know that we still have a lot to learn. There’s also a lot that’s still to be achieved at this club. We want our players to go to the national team. We also want to win against so-called big teams.”

AmaZulu’s most recent league victory over Orlando Pirates came in August 2013, when Bongani Ndulula scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at FNB Stadium.

Their last success against Mamelodi Sundowns was in December 2021. Augustine Mulenga’s goal secured a 1-0 victory over the Tshwane side at Kings Park Stadium, ending the Brazilians’ 17-game unbeaten run at the time, with Benni McCarthy as coach.

AmaZulu last defeated Kaizer Chiefs in October 2023, when Taariq Fielies scored the only goal in a Carling Knockout round of 16 tie at FNB Stadium.

The club’s ambitions come as it seeks further progress under Zwane. AmaZulu finished sixth in his first season in charge before improving to fourth in his second campaign, and Mthethwa says the team is aiming to better that result this season.

Their next opportunity to build momentum comes against Polokwane City in the league on Saturday. The match will be played at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, with kick-off at 5.30pm.