AmaZulu FC will go head to head with Golden Arrows in a Carling Knockout quarter-final match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 7:00 pm CAT.
Usuthu are coming into this KwaZulu-Natal Derby encounter undefeated in their last three competitive matches including a 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Knickout Round of 16 clash on October 21.
AmaZulu view this cup competition as an opportunity to end their 31-year wait for a major trophy. The last time Usuthu lifted a major trophy was in 1992 which was the Coca-Cola Cup.
“Arrows are doing well but we are also playing well and we are happy to play in the quarter-finals,” AmaZulu head coach Pablo Franco Martin said.
“It’s an opportunity for us to go to the next round and an opportunity to win the trophy for the team for the first time in a very long time and we will do our best.
“We are missing some injured players but all the players know that it is difficult to win trophies. We know it’s been a long time since we’ve beaten the Arrows and what a debut game means, not only to them but to the team and the fans.”
AmaZulu will be up against an Arrows side that is in top form at the moment having stretched their unbeaten run to seven wins when they claimed a 2-1 win over Chiefs in a DStv Premiership clash on October 28.
Abafana Bes’thende are also on their own mission to end a 14-year wait for a major trophy. The Lamontville outfit clinched the 2009 MTN8 and it remains the club’s only major trophy so far,
“We have a rule here that we can only celebrate for 48 hours and after that, it’s done. That result against Chiefs, we must forget it,” Arrows head coach Mabhuti Khenyeza said.
“This is a new game, a different challenge with different opposition. What we have done before doesn’t determine what we should do.
“I even forgot about that win against Chiefs and the focus is on AmaZulu now, that’s what is important. Football is not about the past but what you have to do and we try by all means to make sure we are humble all the way.”
Head-to-Head (since 2001/02)
PREVIOUS CUP MEETINGS
Season Cup Result Scorers
2003/04 Coca-Cola, 1st rd Arrows 2-1 AmaZulu Khenyeza, Lakay; Nxele
2009/10 MTN8 semi, 1st leg AmaZulu 1-2 Arrows Ngxabi; R. Henyekane 2
2009/10 MTN8 semi, 2nd leg Arrows 2-0 AmaZulu Musona, Manqana
2014/15 Nedbank Cup, 1st rd AmaZulu 1-2 Arrows Mwape; Khenyeza, Pietersen (og)
2020/21 Nedbank Cup, 1st rd Arrows 1-1* AmaZulu Gumede; Majoro
*After extra time, AmaZulu won 5-4 on penalties
CUP RECORD
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 5 0 1 4 4 9
Arrows 5 4 1 0 9 4
LAST 10 LEAGUE RESULTS
Season Result Scorers
2018/19 AmaZulu 2-0 Arrows Ntuli 2 (1 pen)
2018/19 Arrows 1-1 AmaZulu Lunga; Ouro-Akoriko
2019/20 Arrows 1-1 AmaZulu Sibiya (pen); Ntuli (pen)
2019/20 AmaZulu 1-2 Arrows Sithebe; Mutizwa 2 (1 pen)
2020/21 AmaZulu 0-2 Arrows Sibiya (pen), Ndwandwe
2020/21 Arrows 0-1 AmaZulu Memela
2021/22 Arrows 2-2 AmaZulu Mutizwa (pen), Mathiane; Mlambo, Ntuli (pen)
2021/22 AmaZulu 1-2 Arrows Maduna; Ndwandwe, Sibiya (pen)
2022/23 AmaZulu 0-1 Arrows Mmodi
2022/23 Arrows 1-0 AmaZulu Ndlovu
OVERALL RECORD (all competitions)
P W D L GF GA
AmaZulu 37 12 7 18 36 45
Arrows 37 18 7 12 45 36
