AmaZulu FC will be away to Kaizer Chiefs at the iconic FNB Stadium in an MTN8 semi-final first-leg match on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 3:30 pm CAT.
Usuthu reached this stage of the tournament after defeating 2018 winners Cape Town City in a quarter-final match that was played in the Mother City last month.
The KwaZulu-Natal will be on the road once again – traveling to Johannesburg as they look to grab a first-leg advantage when they face record 15-time MTN8 champions Chiefs.
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“We fancy our chances against any team. The boys have been playing well and the team is always improving. There is always room for improvement. I expect us to be top quality against Chiefs,” AmaZulu head coach Brandon Truter said.
“At the semi-final stage of any competition, there is no such thing as weak opposition, it’s all top-quality teams and for us drawing the mighty AmaKhosi means it’s going be a good game for our supporters and it will also be a good game for us in terms of testing.
“The first leg being away will give us an advantage. If we can get the job done early away from home, it will put us in a good position before the second leg.”
Meanwhile, Chiefs booked their place in the semi-finals after claiming a 4-3 win over Stellenbosch FC on penalties after a 1-1 draw in a quarter-final match that took place in the Western Cape last month.
The Soweto giants will be banking on their home ground advantage when they take on Usuthu, who held Chiefs to a 0-0 draw in a DStv Premiership match at the FNB Stadium on September 3.
“The game we played against them was a draw, now we have to come out guns blazing and make sure that we get a goal,” Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane said.
“We don’t know how they are going to approach the game, whether they will sit back and play a tactical game or whether they will come at us. We must be ready for any approach that they bring on the day.”
The second-leg encounter will take place on October 23 as AmaZulu host Chiefs at the 2010 FIFA World Cup venue Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Head-to-Head (since 1985)
PREVIOUS CUP MEETINGS
Season Cup Result Scorers
1987 Mainstay Cup, final Chiefs 1-0 AmaZulu Maponyane
1989 JPS, 1st round Chiefs 4-0 AmaZulu Thindwa, McGregor 2, Khuse
1992 Coca-Cola Cup, final Chiefs 1-3 AmaZulu Phadime; Magagula, Dearnley, Mwale
1994 BP Top 8, semifinal AmaZulu 1-2 Chiefs Magagula; Nyirenda, Amukola
2010/11 Telkom KO, last 16 AmaZulu 0-2 Chiefs Nale, Letsholonyane
2017/18 Telkom KO, last 16 Chiefs 3-0 AmaZulu Maluleka, Ekstein, Tshabalala
CUP RECORD
PWDLGFGA
AmaZulu 6 1 0 5 4 13
Chiefs 6 5 0 1 13 4
LAST 10 LEAGUE RESULTS
Season Result Scorers
2017/18 Chiefs 0-0 AmaZulu
2018/19 Chiefs 2-0 AmaZulu Mphahlele, Ngezana
2018/19 AmaZulu 2-3 Chiefs Karuru, van Heerden; van Heerden (og), Parker, Katsande
2019/20 AmaZulu 0-2 Chiefs Castro, Billiat
2019/20 Chiefs 0-1 AmaZulu Ntuli
2020/21 AmaZulu 0-1 Chiefs Nurkovic
2020/21 Chiefs 1-2 AmaZulu Castro (pen); Mulenga, Majoro
2021/22 AmaZulu 1-1 Chiefs Memela; Dolly (pen)
2021/22 Chiefs 1-1 AmaZulu Buchanan (og); Ntuli
2022/23 Chiefs 0-0 AmaZulu
OVERALL RECORD (all competitions)
PWDLGFGA
AmaZulu 69 10 17 42 51 119
Chiefs 69 42 17 10 119 51
