AmaZulu proved they are capable of playing well in Cup finals against the big teams after they narrowly lost to Orlando Pirates in Saturday’s MTN8 final in Durban.
Durban — AmaZulu may have lost the MTN8 final 1-0 to Orlando Pirates on Saturday, but they can be proud of their efforts.
Even in the final, AmaZulu proved they are capable of doing well at the death by giving a more well resourced Pirates a serious run for their money.
Had it been for better conversion in front of goal, Romain Folz’s team could have won the game. They had 55% possession which included 12 shots at goal, but just three on target. By comparison, Pirates had seven shots at goal and five on target.
Folz was correct when he said that a draw could have been a fair result and that Pirates were not better than his side. However, football does not work that way.
🔙 𝐖𝐄'𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 💬
The Head Coach expressed his encouraging perspective following last night's result in the #MTN8Final 🟢⚪️#HebeUsuthu#UsuthuTogether pic.twitter.com/KHq8YEx91o
— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) November 6, 2022
They did not have an easy route to the final as they had to overcome last season’s runners-up and Premiership second placed finishers Cape Town City in the quarter-finals, before getting the better of Kaizer Chiefs in the semi-finals.
Even though AmaZulu’s 30-year wait for a major trophy continues, the experience they have got from playing in the Caf Champions League last season and now their run to the MTN8 final is something that can serve them well in the long run.
Since the inception of the PSL in 1996, the club has mainly been a team which were considered “perennial strugglers”. They were never really considered trophy material and usually languished in the lower half of the league standings and often found themselves flirting with relegation.
Their MTN8 final appearance was the first time that AmaZulu reached a major Cup final since they lost the 2010 Nedbank Cup final to Wits.
A lot has changed over the last two years. There have been many hard lessons learnt along the way, failed signings and some challenging times but AmaZulu have shown progress.
It is unrealistic to expect the club to win a trophy just yet, though it is possible and will always be a bonus if it happens. Currently, the PSL in its strongest state.
This has been a reason why Mamelodi Sundowns have dominated the league for the last decade and also why Richards Bay are currently second.
AmaZulu are now a club that can realistically target nothing less than a strong top-eight finish and deep runs in Cup competitions. Their squad may not be the most gifted in the league, but it has experience and is capable of beating any team in the division on a good day.
