Zwane says Sundowns’ squad strength gives AmaZulu a major challenge

AmaZulu head coach Arthur Zwane says Mamelodi Sundowns’ ability to prioritise the Premier Soccer League and CAF Champions League, while selecting their strongest available players for those fixtures, has made the defending champions especially difficult to face.

Zwane was speaking after AmaZulu suffered a heavy defeat against Sundowns, with the former Kaizer Chiefs coach acknowledging the quality of their opponents but also highlighting the contrast between the teams Sundowns have used in different competitions.

According to Zwane, Sundowns have adopted a clear strategy in the league and in the CAF Champions League. When competing in those tournaments, he believes they increase their intensity and field the best players available to them.

“Sundowns prioritise… there’s games for them. Like the Champions League, you could see it was the target, this season it’s the league and Champions League, when it comes to [these competitions] Sundowns don’t play games, they come full force,” Zwane said.

The AmaZulu coach pointed to Sundowns’ recent line-ups as evidence of that approach. He compared the side that played Golden Arrows over the weekend with the team selected to face AmaZulu, suggesting the difference showed how seriously the champions had treated the latest fixture.

“Look at the team who played Golden Arrows over the weekend, then you look at the team who played us – you get what I mean? It’s probably the fourth time we play Sundowns, where they come with this, all their best players available for selection.”

AmaZulu had hoped that any changes to the Sundowns team would give them an opportunity to challenge the champions and show that they could be beaten regardless of the players selected.

However, Zwane admitted that his team did not deliver the performance needed to take advantage of the situation or secure a positive result. He was particularly concerned by the way AmaZulu defended after half-time, when they conceded three goals.

“But we needed to show it doesn’t matter who they play when it’s 11v11 on the field – and we really wanted to give our best today, to make sure we get positive results and it wasn’t to be,” he added.

“The only worrying factor our side is how we conceded certain goals. The three in the second half was poor at the back.”

Although Zwane identified Sundowns’ competition priorities and team selection as significant factors, he ultimately accepted that AmaZulu’s own defensive weaknesses had played a decisive role in the result.

The defeat leaves AmaZulu needing to regroup and work on their consistency. Zwane will want his players to learn from another demanding meeting with one of the Premier Soccer League’s strongest teams, particularly after their second-half collapse.

The match was the fourth occasion on which AmaZulu had faced Sundowns with the champions bringing what Zwane described as their best available players. For AmaZulu, the challenge now is to turn the lessons from those encounters into improved performances in future matches.