Dortley: Zwane’s Chiefs Knowledge Won’t Help AmaZulu
Arthur Zwane’s knowledge of Kaizer Chiefs having spent 24 years at the club in different roles won’t work in favour of AmaZulu at FNB Stadium on Tuesday (19:30).
This was argued by Chiefs defender Rushwin Dortley, who has been impressive this season since he arrived during the off season from Cape Town Spurs.
Zwane left Chiefs as the head of academy to take over at AmaZulu as the club’s co-coach with Vusi Vilakazi in October.
Mangethe played for Chiefs between 2000 and 2010 where he made 252 appearances with a contribution of 32 goals and winning no less than 12 trophies with the Glamour Boys.
He also took Chiefs to the CAF Champions League final in 2021, where they become the first South African side to win in Morocco, beating Wydad Casablanca in the semis to reach the final.
Because of that, he is rated as a legend at the club.
However, Dortley dismisses the notion that ‘10111’ might have some inside knowledge that he could use to AmaZulu’s advantage.
“We have done thorough preparation for this game and we have a strategy,” he says, adding, “Things have changed here since Arthur Zwane left and new coaches have come in, so I don’t think he has any inside track on how things work with the team now.”
Tuesday’s match marks the first fixture of the second round of the Betway Premiership campaign, and Chiefs are determined to climb the table in search of a high finish and the rewards that come with that.
“Our focus is to win every game and claim maximum points in order to move up the table,” says Dortley, “While it is still mathematically possible, our goal is to win the league but, if not, at least finish in the top three, and qualify for CAF competition next season. We really want to represent the Club on the continent again. “
Chiefs go to this fixture having lost to Orlando Pirates in the Soweto Derby at a packed to rafters match at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
That game on its own took a lot of emotions from everyone involved at the club, especially having lost in the last minute via a debatable penalty converted by Patrick Maswanganyi.
With little turnaround time between games, players’ fitness and endurance are tested, but Dortley emphasizes his faith in the ability of the coaching staff to get them ready for action.
“Our conditioning coach is amazing. He knows what he is doing. We have all followed his recovery protocols and we are ready to give our maximum on Tuesday,” he says.
Dortley, who signed a contract until 2027 and has also established within the Bafana Bafana setup, has featured in 16 matches in all competitions for Chiefs so far. He is yet to open his goal-scoring account for Amakhosi. When asked, Dortley replies with a smile, “Hopefully on Tuesday.”
