AmaZulu co-coach Arthur Zwane acknowledges that their recent 5-0 defeat to Stellenbosch FC has likely emboldened their upcoming opponents.

The humiliating loss at King Zwelithini Stadium last Thursday has left Zwane and his co-coach Vusi Vilakazi with a challenging task to rebuild team morale and confidence.

On Tuesday, AmaZulu face Mighty Eagles in the Nedbank Cup round of 32 at the same venue.

“Sure, everyone will always fancy his chances,” said Zwane when he was asked if Mighty Eagles was salivating having seen them lose to Stellenbosch by an avalanche of goals.  

“So, it’s all about to us, the ball is in our court. We just have to turn things around. If we are good enough to say we can turn things around, then we have to show it in that game and also in the next game against SuperSport United, do better and grind the results.” 

Last season, AmaZulu reached the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals before being eliminated by Orlando Pirates, the eventual champions. Their best performance in the competition came in the 2009/10 season when they reached the final, losing to Bidvest Wits at FNB Stadium.

Facing a lower-division side like Mighty Eagles presents a potential banana skin for AmaZulu. The club has suffered previous upsets in this competition, including defeats against Dondol Stars in the 2022/23 round of 16, Ubuntu Cape Town in the 2017/18 season, and Tembu Royals in the 2012/13 season.

However, AmaZulu also boasts a notable 5-0 victory over another lower-division side, Real Madrid, in the first round of the 2010/11 competition.