“Character And Mentality”: Hanamub Believes Usuthu Can Silence Bloemfontein Crowd
AmaZulu defender Riaan Hanamub believes “character and mentality” will secure victory against Siwelele on Saturday. Sitting fourth, Usuthu aim to leapfrog Kaizer Chiefs into third place despite trailing Amakhosi’s games-in-hand advantage in the Betway Premiership.
The KwaZulu-Natal outfit will face Siwelele at Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium on Saturday.
Usuthu are pushing hard to secure third place in the league standings, currently occupied by Kaizer Chiefs. AmaZulu sit fourth with 38 points, just one behind Chiefs, who still have two games in hand.
“Obviously, it’s a tough encounter that we’re anticipating,” said Hanamub.
“Knowing Siwelele, their strength in transition and the quality of the individual players they have, we expect a difficult match. But I think preparations have gone well for us.
“We’re looking forward to an exciting game. It’s going to be tough, and their fans will come out in numbers, so I hope our supporters do the same. They give us that extra energy, and I believe we will come out victorious.”
Usuthu’s recent 2-2 draw against Sekhukhune United on Monday ended their two-match winning streak but extended their unbeaten run to four games.
However, Hanamub feels the result did not reflect their performance, insisting AmaZulu deserved more from the match.
“Obviously, we drew against Sekhukhune in our last game, which, if I’m being honest, was not a true reflection of the game. I think we played tremendously well and created a lot of chances.”
The 31-year-old added that the second half of the season presents a different challenge, stressing that AmaZulu must be more clinical in front of goal.
“Our job is to make sure we convert the chances we create and keep the squad in good spirits because we know what the team is capable of,” said Hanamub.
“The second round of the season is always tough, so we cannot rely on what we did in the first round. It won’t be easy—it’s going to be very hard. But I think character and mentality will play a big role in the remaining games of the season.”
In their last meeting in November, AmaZulu secured a 2-0 victory over Siwelele.
