AmaZulu FC Head Coach Arthur Zwane offered his take on Tuesday night’s 2–0 defeat to reigning Betway Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
“I want to congratulate Sundowns,” Zwane said. “Today you could see the difference in quality between the two teams. We have young players who are still learning and finding their way at this level, so it was never going to be easy — especially away from home.”
The Usuthu mentor felt his side stuck to their tactical blueprint early on. “We had a plan to let Sundowns have the ball and wait for the right moments to exploit the spaces. You can’t go pound-for-pound with them in terms of quality, but you can hit them where they are weak. In the first half we had three clear chances — at least one should have gone in. You could even see the frustration from their bench. The key for us was not to concede in the first 20 minutes because, once the game opens up, they can get two or three quickly.”
The turning point came shortly after the break. “We conceded too early in the second half and ended up chasing shadows. We managed to regroup and get back into our structure, creating two more good chances that could have brought us level — maybe even ahead — before they scored the second. But when you defend for long periods, your energy levels drop and a lapse in concentration can cost you. In the end, their quality and composure inside the box made the difference.”
True to Zwane’s assessment, AmaZulu created several dangerous openings. Tebogo Mashigo saw a golden first-half opportunity go begging, while Hendrick Ekstein’s delicate chip over goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in the second half drifted agonisingly wide. Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya also went close, firing over goal after doing brilliantly to beat his marker.
Usuthu will now look to bounce back when they host in-form Marumo Gallants at Princess Magogo Stadium on Wednesday, 20th August, Kick-off at 19h30.
