Benni’s instant impact at AmaZulu 

Since his appointment as the head coach of AmaZulu back in December last year, Benni McCarthy has been ticking the right boxes and has established Usuthu as title contenders as they sit on the heels of log leaders and defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

AmaZulu take on Masandawana on Wednesday afternoon in the DStv Premiership top of the table and we take a look at McCarthy’s impact in the KwaZulu-Natal side.

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Zungu’s financial muscle

As much as McCarthy and his technical team do the job on the pitch, we cannot overlook Usuthu president Sandile Zungu’s financial muscle. Zungu, an astute businessman, opened a blank chequebook and put his money where his mouth is right after purchasing the club at the start of the season, bringing in a host of experienced players such as Sphiwe Tshabalala to make up what has so far been a formidable squad.

Experienced players  

McCarthy probably had a say on who can join and leave the team and players such as Xola Mlambo, Augustine and Luvuyo Memela, who had fallen out of favour in their teams, were picked up by Usuthu to help them resurrect their careers. Thabo Qalinge, who recently joined and made two appearances so far, is also one such player who has been given a chance to showcase his talent. These players are using the opportunity at AmaZulu to prove a point and in turn, are helping Usuthu achieve their target of a top-four finish.

Point to prove

The coach himself has a point to prove as he was discarded at Cape Town City after a string of poor results where he was fired in November 2019. And what better way to prove his point than becoming the first AmaZulu mentor to guide the side to a top-two finish in the Premier Soccer League era. McCarthy could still put up a good challenge for the league title even though Sundowns still appear as outright favourites as they have been at the summit from the start of the season.

Home comforts

AmaZulu have made the Kings Park Stadium a fortress in the league, having resisted defeat in the last five games at home, they have become one of the few sides to stamp their authority and ignite fear in their opponents. A total of 21 points have been collected at home this season, making Usuthu the third best performing side at home behind Orlando Pirates and Sundowns who have collected 23 and 22 points reactively.

Beating the top teams

They can stand their ground against the so-called top sides as they are seen as their direct opponents for a top-four finish. AmaZulu played to a 1-1 draw in Orlando Stadium against the Buccaneers and went on to beat Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium in February, beating Gavin Hunt’s men 2-1.

Usuthu also had a decent showing against SuperSport United, holding them to a 1-1 draw in Pretoria and made sure to collect all the points in the reverse fixture in KwaZulu-Natal. While Usuthu may have lost their tie against Sundowns in a thrilling 4-3 contest, they are in a better form now and will certainly give Sundowns a run for their money.