Arthur Zwane says AmaZulu have moved beyond fear of defeat

Arthur Zwane says AmaZulu FC no longer begin matches worrying about the possibility of losing, believing the team have developed the resilience to recover from setbacks.

Usuthu have made notable progress under Zwane, after finishing fourth in the previous campaign. They have carried that form into the new Betway Premiership season, winning seven of their first nine matches.

The AmaZulu coach says the club’s mentality has changed significantly. Rather than focusing on what a defeat might mean, his players now expect difficulties to arise and are confident they can respond to them.

“I think we are at that stage whereas a team, we have passed the stage of thinking about losing a game. We are not saying we’re not going to lose, but we don’t get worried that, what if we lose this game? So, that was a norm in the past,” said Zwane.

He recalled a period when slow starts created immediate pressure inside the club, with results in the opening matches leaving AmaZulu concerned about what lay ahead.

“It was normal that as a club, when you start the season, you will win one game out of six. We will still be having three points, and then maybe two draws with five points. And now, we are worried about what the next five games are going to entail for us,” he said.

Zwane believes that uncertainty has now been left behind, with the team measuring itself by how it reacts when results do not go its way.

“So, right now, we are at a stage where we don’t even think about it. We have passed that stage a long time ago,” he added.

The coach accepts that a poor run is inevitable during a football season, but says AmaZulu will not allow one setback to define their campaign.

“So, it’s normal that we go through a slump at some point, but it’s how we are going to respond. We went to Pretoria, I will repeat that again, we went to Pretoria, we got a hiding in Pretoria, we conceded five goals. So, in every setback, there’s always going to be a very strong comeback in us,” said Zwane.

That belief has become central to the team’s approach as they continue their strong start to the Betway Premiership campaign.

“That’s the mentality we have right now. We know at some point, a setback will be there, that’s football. But also, expect a strong comeback,” Zwane said.