Johannesburg - AMAZULU are set on ‘righting’ the wrongs of the first half of the DStv Premiership season.
The KwaZulu-Natal based side have had an underwhelming league campaign but did enjoy an impressive run in the MTN8, eventually losing to Orlando Pirates in the final.
Usuthu began the campaign under the stewardship of Brandon Truter. Following an accumulation of poor results, he was then replaced by Romain Folz, who is currently in the process of rebuilding the club.
After four victories, four losses and six draws in the 14 matches they’ve played, Usuthu are looking to turn the corner in the second half of the season according to captain Makhehleni Makhaula.
“As players, we've set ourselves targets for the upcoming five games and we are extremely focused on those. We were focused in our last game as well but we just couldn't convert our chances. I think the team is in good shape and we're going to beat a lot of teams and hopefully finish in a good place on the log and win the Nedbank Cup,” Makhaula said yesterday.
Usuthu defender Riaan Hanamub, who has been one of the best players at the club this season, echoed the words of his captain, dismissing any concerns that the club might be headed in the wrong direction.
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“All of our goals are still within reach, nothing is over. We just played 14 games and there are still 16 more to go so we're going to take it game by game and see where it takes us. I would really like it if we were able to qualify for the CAF competitions and had won the Nedbank Cup as well,” said Hanamub.
Prior to the World Cup break back in November, Folz highlighted the need for his players to level up in terms of fitness as he claimed they struggled to sustain the style of play he wants to employ.
The club have backed the 32-year-old mentor and enlisted the services of experienced fitness trainer Tshepang Mokaila, who, according to the coach, has made an immediate impact and will continue to play a huge role in ensuring fitness levels remain at an all-time high.
AmaZulu's next fixture is a titanic battle against provincial rivals Royal AM at the Chatsworth Stadium on Sunday (3.30pm kick-off).
IOL Sport