Zwane Reflects On One Year As AmaZulu Coach
AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane says he has cherished every moment of leading Usuthu, as he prepares to celebrate his one-year anniversary in charge of the club.
Zwane was appointed alongside Vusi Vilakazi on 8 October last year after AmaZulu lost their opening three league matches, which led to the sacking of Spanish coach Pablo Franco Martin.
When Vilakazi resigned in February for personal reasons, Zwane stepped up as the sole head coach.
Turning AmaZulu Around
When Zwane and Vilakazi took charge, Usuthu were struggling at the bottom of the Betway Premiership. Under Zwane’s leadership, the team recovered to finish sixth last season, securing a top-eight spot for the first time in two years.
Now, nearly a year later, AmaZulu are ninth on the log with 12 points from eight matches, showing signs of progress but also inconsistency.
“I’m not happy about some games we should have won,” Zwane told Sportswire.
“Against Kaizer Chiefs and TS Galaxy, if we had everyone available, we could have done better. What bothers me most is when we score first and still drop points. That shows we need to manage games better.”
Zwane’s Record at AmaZulu
Since taking over, Zwane has overseen 28 matches in all competitions, winning eight, drawing nine, and losing 11. While the results show mixed progress, the coach believes the foundation is being laid for long-term growth.
He admits AmaZulu sometimes lose control late in matches:
“We defend well but sometimes drop too deep and give the opposition too much time on the ball. That’s where we need to improve.”
Carling Knockout Cup Test
Zwane now turns his attention to the Carling Knockout Cup round of 16, where AmaZulu face defending champions Magesi FC on Sunday at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Interestingly, Zwane and Vilakazi’s first match in charge last year was also in this competition at the same stage, where they lost 2-1 to Stellenbosch at King Zwelithini Stadium.
Pride in Coaching AmaZulu
Zwane expressed deep pride in being entrusted with a club of AmaZulu’s stature:
“Opportunities like this don’t come for everyone,” he said.
“Until people understand how big this club is, the better. Who doesn’t want to coach AmaZulu?
“That is why it annoys me; it breaks me when someone doesn’t understand what AmaZulu all is about.
“The history of this club, the people who have invested, the board, the president [Sandile Zungu] and many other people who are investing their emotions to see the team progressing and getting better.
“It makes me mad. Why I’m saying mad? I’m saying mad because of the passion that I have when I see people take things for granted.
“It worries me. You can add a cherry on top of what has been achieved by this club. Why this team has been existing? Here in this part of this world, you have to understand why you are part of AmaZulu.”
