Durban - If one thing is certain, AmaZulu will not be adopting an underdog mentality as they prepare to host continental giants Raja Casablanca at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Friday night.
A win will put Usuthu’s Caf Champions League campaign back on track. They dropped down to third place in Group B following their 2-0 defeat against ES Setif in Algeria last week.
To advance to the knockout stages, AmaZulu will need to finish in the top two.
Usuthu’s coach Benni McCarthy certainly believes that it is possible for his side to bag a victory, especially after bottom of the group Horoya upset Raja 2-1 last week.
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“It is a morale booster for us to see that Horoya beat Raja. There are flaws in Raja’s squad and they can be beaten. The fact that we went to Raja in our first game and played well was good. We created clear cut chances and had we taken them, we could have had a different start to our Champions League campaign. We didn’t do that and then they showed why they are the fourth best team in Africa,” said McCarthy.
AmaZulu’s recent form has not been good. They have lost their last two games in all competitions and are without a win in three games.
They have also won just twice in their last nine games in all competitions. McCarthy is aware that his troops need to be more clinical in the final third, especially as Raja are regulars in continental competition and have significantly more experience than his side when it comes to navigating through African club football.
“They know how to win even when they are not playing their best football. If we are a bit more clinical and composed in the final third, we can score and win against Raja. The fact that they lost against Horoya has helped to lift the spirits in our camp,” said McCarthy.
On our last #TotalEnergiesCAFCL outing at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium it was Luvuyo Memela who made the difference. That man Amigo did the things 😎 pic.twitter.com/Sz4baue57S
— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) March 15, 2022
Meanwhile, AmaZulu defender Mbongeni Gumede has acknowledged that his side have not been performing well in the domestic league, but added that the Champions League is significantly harder to compete in than the local competition.
AmaZulu are ninth in the top-flight and will need a late season run of good form to ensure that they finish in the top eight.
“We are not on the right track in the league. It’s not like we are choosing where to play well. The Champions League is very hard and we give like 110 percent more than what we give in domestic games when playing in it,” said Gumede.