DURBAN - It hasn’t been a great week for AmaZulu on the field and off it. They were unlucky to go down 4-3 to league champions Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday but the biggest blow was the passing of defender Anele Ngcongca.
The Bafana Bafana right-back was set to join the Durban-based club on loan from Sundowns and was killed in a car crash while travelling to Durban to finalise his agreement with the club on Monday.
Usuthu coach Ayanda Dlamini had already made plans to tap into the experience of the South African international to enhance his team’s chances of finishing in a decent position this season.
“We were looking forward to working with him as the technical team,” said Dlamini.
“Due to his experience, we wanted him to come and help us achieve our ambitions. It is very sad that we have lost him.
“I would like to pass on my sincere condolences to the Ngcongca family and hope that God keeps them strong in these difficult times.”
Usuthu will be looking to record their second DStv Premiership victory of the season when they face off against Cape Town City at the Jonsson Kings Park Stadium in Durban tomorrow night.
Despite losing their last game against Sundowns last weekend, AmaZulu delivered a brave performance against the 2016 Champions League winners. An encouraging sign is that they did not fear their more resourced opposition and were not afraid to play positive attacking football against them.
Should AmaZulu rectify their defensive frailties ahead of the clash against Cape Town City, they will stand a good chance of gaining points from the game. However, Jan Olde Riekerink’s side will also be in high spirits after having defeated Bloemfontein Celtic 4-2 last weekend.
“We saw a lot of positives in the game against Sundowns but there were also a lot of mistakes.
“We are trying to work on those to make sure we don’t make the same errors against Cape Town City. City is a quality side, they showed their quality in the bio-bubble last season and have continued their good form.
“They will come into the game with confidence after beating Celtic and this will reflect with their play.
“We are playing at home which should allow us to dominate the game,” said Dlamini.
Dlamini confirmed that Sphesihle Maduna and Bongi Ntuli will miss the game through injury.
A late call is set to be made on the availability of veteran Siphiwe Tshabalala. Meanwhile, striker Siphelele Mthembu will be available.
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