AmaZulu coach Pablo Franco Martin has refused to answer whether goalkeeper Veli Mothwa will start against Kaizer Chiefs following consecutive errors in both national duty and the club’s Betway Premiership opener against Polokwane City.

Mothwa was handed the starting role for Bafana Bafana’s clash against Uganda after first-choice keeper Ronwen Williams was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

However, the match saw him concede two goals in 10 minutes in the second half. The second goal came from a long-range shot that Mothwa misjudged, with the ball grazing his fist before finding the back of the net.

In AmaZulu’s opening league match against Polokwane City this past weekend, Mothwa’s misjudgment of a set piece in the 90^th minute proved costly. As he attempted to catch the ball, it slipped out of his hands, allowing Thabang Matuludi to slot it into the net, leading to a defeat for Usuthu.

Despite these mistakes, Martin has come out in full support of his goalkeeper yet again, stressing the importance of unity and resilience in football. He emphasized that errors are a natural part of the game and that they should not overshadow the team’s overall effort.

“We need to understand and accept that mistakes are part of the game, and we all make mistakes. Some other players make mistakes, some players in the offensive phase are not converting the chances they have, and this game is about the goals we are conceding and the goals we are scoring,” said Martin.

Mothwa has faced significant backlash on social media from frustrated fans, particularly after the errors in both matches. However, Martin believes that such criticism should be met with a balanced perspective.

“I think we need to take things naturally and know that in this game there are successes [and] there are mistakes. The first one knowing that he made a mistake is that person, so we don’t need to be very critical. It’s just a matter of taking it with naturality, to cheer everyone up, make them understand that this is part of the game, and we are going to come back,” added the Spanish coach.

Following his mistake during the Bafana Bafana game, Mothwa was replaced by Orlando Pirates’ Sipho Chaine in the starting lineup. When asked if he would make a similar decision for AmaZulu’s next match against Chiefs at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday next week, Martin remained coy, keeping his plans under wraps for now.

“You will see on Wednesday,” he said.

AmaZulu will host a Chiefs side, who come into the match on the back of a morale-boosting away win against Maruo Gallants. It remains to be seen whether Martin will stick with Mothwa or make changes between the posts.