AmaZulu FC Head Coach, Arthur “Phakimpi” Zwane, offered his post-match reflections following Usuthu’s hard-fought 1–0 KZN Derby victory over Durban City in the Betway Premiership on Saturday afternoon at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“I think we started the game a little bit shaky, but we gained momentum as the game progressed,” said Zwane. “We created two clear-cut chances and another half-chance. Had we been more clinical in front of goal, we could’ve gone into halftime leading 2–0.
“In the second half, we knew we were up against a team with very good players going forward — a team that connects well, keeps it simple, but remains very effective. They created a few half chances, mostly from our own mistakes. We lost the ball cheaply in midfield, and that’s what they were waiting for — to pounce whenever we tried to play through the middle.
“We looked dangerous whenever we played the ball out wide before bringing it inside. The only thing missing was consistency in doing that to open them up more often. The more we lost the ball, the more hope we gave them. At times, we allowed them to dominate possession and showed them a bit too much respect, which I wasn’t happy about because we were playing at home.
“In the last ten minutes, we shifted gears and came to our senses in the final third. We started positioning ourselves better and connecting well, but our decision-making in those attacking areas let us down. We had two or three set-pieces, and although we didn’t deliver the ball with enough pace initially, we made one count — and we managed to convert from a dead-ball situation.”
The victory keeps Usuthu firmly among the top contenders in the league, now sitting on 15 points, level with third-placed Orlando Pirates on the Betway Premiership log.
