AmaZulu FC hope to avenge defeat when they face Royal AM on Saturday

AmaZulu Football Club will be looking to avenge the defeat they suffered at the hands of rivals Royal AM when the two clubs meet in a KwaZulu-Natal derby this weekend.

Royal AM got the better of Usuthu during their first PSL match of the season, beating them 2-nil at the Chatsworth Stadium in January.

The two clubs are both at the bottom of the log, which sets the stage for a mouth-watering clash in Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday as they fight off relegation.

Both teams have had a lacklustre performance of late, recording just one win between them in their last five Premier League outings. Thwihli Thwahla is sitting at number nine on the log, while Usuthu is in 11th position. Four Royal AM players – including strikers Mxolisi Macuphu and Motebang Sera – are out due to injury concerns.

However, the Royal AM head coach, John Maduka, says players are highly motivated for the derby.

“The boys are working very hard after a tough game against Supersport with difficult conditions. We are now looking forward to this game against AmaZulu. It’s a derby game. The derby games are always difficult. AmaZulu come from a defeat so that alone makes the game difficult and we know that it’s not going to be easy. It’s a very important game for us and for us it’s like a cup final.”

Weaknesses

AmaZulu FC have only managed one win in the league this year. The coach, Romain Folz, says last weekend’s loss against TS Galaxy exposed their weaknesses – especially in front of the goals.

“We gave them the win honestly. And those are the kind of losses you cannot accept. So we have to win to make up for that loss but I will be very honest with you it’s not only just that game, that game is one that we have to face going forward. But we need to start be serious to win. We need to link the performance to the results. And we need to start now otherwise it’s going to be too late and we will finish in the position that no one cares about.”

AmaZulu FC players Keagan Buchanan and Thembela Skhakhane say they fully realise what’s required of them on Saturday.

“The preparations are going well. We know what to expect. We played them not too long ago. But it’s a KZN derby so you know it’s going to be fireworks and feisty. So I think what we want are points. So we are prepared and mentally ready to make sure we come back with three points.”

“We are more than ready for the weekend’s derby. We are coming from a loss. We cannot afford to lose two games in a row. I think need these three points more than our opponents.”

Another KwaZulu-Natal team, Maritzburg United, is travelling to Tshwane to play against Supersport United tonight, while Richards Bay United will face Stellenbosch FC in Durban on Saturday afternoon.