Durban - AmaZulu coach Benni McCarthy was once again made to rue his team’s missed chances following their 0-0 draw against Durban rivals Royal AM at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The result was Usuthu’s ninth league draw of the current season. They have the most draws out of all the teams in the top-flight.
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The game was played amidst heavy rainfall in Durban and McCarthy is adamant that the weather had a negative impact on the flow of the game.
“It’s another draw. The rain made things difficult by slowing the game and affecting the performances of a few key players. There are positives to take from the speed at which we moved the ball. We prevented them from shooting from far,” said McCarthy.
“We hardly made mistakes and I have to complement the boys for that. Our biggest problem and worry is to show more composure in the final third.”
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AmaZulu did dominate the game with Andre De Jong coming close to scoring on a number of occasions, only to be denied by a masterclass performance from Royal AM goalkeeper Patrick Nyame.
“We were the better team. Being the better team does not mean that you will win. We let another one slip and drew when we could have easily taken three points,” said McCarthy.
The bad weather during the game significantly increased the chances of players getting injured. The wet conditions meant that players had to exert themselves more while also risking the possibility of picking up injuries due to the slippery field.
Thembela Sikhakhane did everything right but find the back of the net 🤦♂️
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) December 4, 2021
FT | AmaZulu 0-0 Royal AM#DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/8pYOnkWjgy
McCarthy also feels that this month is going to be physically tough for players given that it will be congested in terms of fixtures before the league goes on a break at the end of December before resuming in mid-February.
“With the congestion of the fixtures that will be coming, we will be playing every third day. The recovery process will be difficult and it's tough for players to be at the speed and level of every game. With the intensity that we want to play, it will take a lot out of the players. The congested fixture list means that players will get injured and pick up niggles. We still do have a lot of positives to be happy about and just need to ensure that we work better in the final third,” said McCarthy.
AmaZulu will next be in action on Wednesday evening when they host Orlando Pirates at the Jonsson Kings Park Stadium in Durban.
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