AmaZulu FC will be targeting a second successive win in the Betway Premiership when they host Cape Town City at the King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 3:30 pm CAT
Usuthu bounced back to winning ways in style when they thrashed Magesi FC 3-0 in a league match on 22 February as they snapped a two-match winless run having lost both matches before facing Dikwena Tsa Meetse.
AmaZulu find themselves placed sixth in the Betway Premiership standings – a point behind fifth-placed Stellenbosch FC, and a win over City would see the KwaZulu-Natal giants cosolidate their spot in the top half.
“After this game [against Cape Town City], we are traveling to Pretoria [to play against SuperSport United], that game might be played in Polokwane, it will take a lot from us,” AmaZulu coach Arthur Zwane said.
“From there, there is Mamelodi Sundowns [on 11 March]. You can see now we have to manage the players, the traveling in between. The demands at this level are going to be much higher than in the past because the games are coming thick and fast going into the international break.
“We also want to consolidate our position in the top eight for now because we have set ourselves goals.”
Meanwhile, City’s struggles continued when they extended their winless run to six matches following a 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates in a league game on 22 February and it was also their third defeat in a row.
The Citizens are occupying the 10th spot in the Betway Premiership standings – four points behind eighth-placed Kaizer Chiefs and a win over AmaZulu could reduce the gap between City and the top half teams.
“When I came in, there was something wrong [with the team]; that’s the first issue,” City coach Muhsin Ertugral said.
“Second, in the 2024 calendar year, maybe you guys [journalists] have forgotten, the whole year, City won only seven games [they won only six of their 24 league fixtures of the year 2024 with nine defeats and nine draws] and when I came in, we won three games and drew one in January.
“So, I think we’ve already achieved 50% of what the club did in the whole calendar year.”
This will be AmaZulu’s first match since the departure of coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi, who recently resigned, leaving Zwane as the club’s sole head coach.
Cape Town City, on the other hand, have strengthened their squad with the signing of Thulani Serero, but the Citizens will be without the suspended Lebogang Manyama and Lorenzo Gordinho.
Head-to-Head
LAST 10 LEAGUE RESULTS
Season Result Scorers
2019/20 City 2-2 AmaZulu Ralani, Putsche; Ntuli (2)
2020/21 AmaZulu 1-1 City Majoro (pen); Agyemang
2020/21 City 1-5 AmaZulu Lakay; Mulenga, Xoki (pen), Majoro, Memela (pen), Sithebe
2021/22 AmaZulu 2-0 City Mulenga 2
2021/22 City 0-0 AmaZulu
2022/23 AmaZulu 2-1 City Kwem, Mhango; Mayo
2022/23 City 2-2 AmaZulu Mayo, Gonzalez; Ntuli, Kwem
2023/24 AmaZulu 3-2 City Gumede, Dion 2; Mayo, Nyama
2023/24 City 0-1 AmaZulu Dion
2024/25 City 0-1 AmaZulu Ekstein
LEAGUE RECORD (since 2017/18)
Home
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 7 6 1 0 12 5
City 8 2 3 3 9 11
Away
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 8 3 3 2 11 9
City 7 0 1 6 5 12
Total
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 15 9 4 2 23 14
City 15 2 4 9 14 23
