Centurion - AmaZulu began life under interim coach Brandon Truter as they travel to Polokwane to play against struggling Baroka FC in a league clash at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday.
Usuthu enters the game 10th on the log and will be targeting nothing less than a top eight finish this season. A win can potentially propel them back into the top eight.
The game will be the Durban-based club’s first since they parted ways with former coach Benni McCarthy two weeks ago. McCarthy ultimately paid the price for failing to reach the club’s target this season.
AmaZulu plays against a Baroka team which is in poor form, bottom of the log and who have lost four out of their last five league games with the most recent being a 5-1 mauling at the hands of Cape Town City.
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Prior to the start of the season, AmaZulu chairman Sandile Zungu had indicated that the club’s target was to finish in the top four as well as win one major trophy on offer. They are now out of all competitions on offer and have virtually no chance of winning the league, even finishing in the top eight will be a difficult task for them.
Truter who developed a reputation for being a “draw specialist” during his previous coaching stint with Swallows FC will also be looking to prove his doubters wrong, as he aims to turn around the club’s fortunes in their last few games of the season.
AmaZulu have said that they plan to appoint a new full-time successor to McCarthy before the end of the month. They are aiming for the new coach to officially take over from next season.
Meanwhile, seventh-placed Golden Arrows are also set to host Stellenbosch FC at the Princess Magogo Stadium in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The game promises to be a scrappy one between two physical sides who have been in similar form throughout the season. Stellies are sixth in the log and just two points ahead of Arrows.
A win for Arrows in this game could help them to consolidate a place in the top eight. Even though Abafana Bes’thende have failed to reach the heights of last season as they finished fourth under Mandla Ncikazi, a top eight finish will still be impressive for them given that they work with limited resources.