Mounting pressure, which was caused by failure to bring good results
has forced Ayanda Dlamini to quit as AmaZulu head coach just six
matches into the 2020/21 season.
Dlamini was given a mandate to lead Usuthu to a respectable position
before the Christmas break, but that seemed to be a very tough task
for him.
Things didn’t work out well for Dlamini as Usuthu only picked up two
points from their last three games – losing 4-3 to Mamelodi Sundowns
and drawing 1-1 with Cape Town City and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.
”AmaZulu Football Club would like to officially announce that coach
Ayanda Dlamini has stepped down from his head coaching duties with
immediate effect and will be re-assigned to the role of coach within
the club’s development ranks,” a statement from the club said on
Monday.
The statement further revealed that Allan Freese, who was Dlamini’s
assistant, will be in charge of the team on a caretaker basis.
It is an open secret that AmaZulu owner and president Sandile Zungu,
who bought the team from Doctor Patrick Sokhela in October, is an
ambitious man.
Zungu made it clear in many media interviews that he wants Usuthu to
finish inside the top four bracket at the end of this season.
”Coach Ayanda has done a phenomenal job since assuming the head
coaching role. The passion and zeal the players have demonstrated
under his tenure as head coach demonstrates that he is one of the
prospects for the future,” Zungu said.
”We will continue to trust him with the advancement of our
development structures because he is fully committed to Vision 2032.
His role is very integral in ensuring that AmaZulu have a solid base
of young players coming through the ranks.”
AmaZulu have raided the transfer market signing players like Phakamani
Mahlambi, Veli Mothwa, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Xola Mlambo and Luvuyo
Memela just to mention a few.
Currently, AmaZulu are 11th on the DStv Premiership table with six
points from the six games.
Usuthu have a date with Lamontville Golden Arrows at King’s Park
Stadium on Wednesday, 16 December.
Four days later, Usuthu are going to play against struggling Chippa
United at Mdantsane’s Sisa Dukashe Stadium in East London.
