AmaZulu interim coach Ayanda Dlamini spoke after the match and had nothing but praise for his players and revealed that it helped that they know coach Truter and the way he likes to set his team up.
Johannesburg – AmaZulu interim coach Ayanda Dlamini heaped praise on his players for following a well-orchestrated strategy as they moved away from potential relegation danger on Saturday.
Usuthu scored goals in each half as they downed an out-of-sorts Sekhukhune United outfit 2-1 under incredibly wet conditions at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
In the week leading up to their crunch encounter, Dlamini said their recent history with Babina Noko coach Brandon Truter (who spent five months at AmaZulu) would possibly hand his side more information in their attempts to manufacture a victory on the day.
Dlamini spoke after the match and had nothing but praise for his players and revealed that it helped that they know coach Truter and the way he likes to set his team up.
“The first thing is we came up with a plan and the whole week we’ve been preparing for this encounter and knowing coach Braatjies (Truter) and how he plays,” he explained.
“I won’t say it was easy to prepare but we knew what we were coming up against and I think we planned accordingly. The boys executed the plan very very well on the field, and all the credit should go to the boys.”
“If you see the intensity that we played at in this game and the fighting spirit they showed once again was very very impressive.”
Usuthu did not only win their first-ever match against Babina Noko but also handed coach Truter and his boys their first defeat in six games, further blowing open what was already a highly competitive fight for the top eight spots.
AmaZulu also moved themselves to within three points of seventh-placed Sekhukhune as they linger in 10th position on the DStv premiership standings.
The KwaZulu natal-based club have arguably the toughest final three games of the season, which makes their latest victory even more significant as they look to sneak into what many may have thought was an impossible MTN8 slot for next season.
Usuthu will next face champions Mamelodi Sundowns with a KZN Derby against Golden Arrows to follow that, before sealing the season with a home match against Orlando Pirates.
Dlamini did not shy away from the fact that his side prioritised their game against Sekhukhune, because they do not expect to have it any easier against an already crowned Brazilians in the next match.
“It was important that we get three points today because you might say Sundowns has won the league or whatever but that’s one of the most professional teams in the league and they take every game seriously.”
@ScribeSmiso
