AmaZulu president Sandile Zungu has expressed confidence in coach Pablo Franco Martin, assuring that he has ample time to turn things around in the new season.
Martin’s first season in the DStv Premiership, the 2023/24 campaign, was challenging, with AmaZulu finishing in 11th place.
Despite this underwhelming performance, Zungu is optimistic about Martin’s future with the club. He believes that Martin, now more familiar with the league, is the right person to lead Usuthu back to its glory days.
Zungu’s support underlines the club’s commitment to stability and faith in Martin’s abilities to improve the team’s performance.
“He (Martin) has plenty of time. I like what he said in his [first] season; he could have gotten 50 points,” Zungu said.
“Which could have been a huge turnaround in the previous season (2022/23 season).
“In the second season, he now understands how the PSL operates. The nuances that he would have been told about he has experienced them first-hand.
“So, I believe that the environment is much more facilitating for a better and a quicker turnaround if you can describe it as such.
“I don’t believe that it’s impossible to achieve a top-four finish and I don’t believe it’s impossible to achieve a top-two finish.
“In the past four seasons we have been probably the best number two (runners-up), we got 54 points in the 2020/21 season.
“I think Pirates got 54 points two seasons ago, they didn’t get 54 points last season they were number two.”
The president further revealed that his side would challenge Mamelodi Sundowns to try to end their dominance in the league. Usuthu has enough tools to do that.
“I believe we have achieved some of the great things. Even Mamelodi Sundowns is a great team.
“But we can reasonably aim to dethrone them just like all other ambitious teams must aim to dethrone them.
“They have done exceptionally well (Sundowns) but someone got to move them from the pinnacle that they have occupied for so long.
“And we believe AmaZulu must raise its hand to say we want to be counted.
“So, the idea of a turnaround for us is the easiest to talk about. The question is do we have the required material to achieve that?
“We believe we got the required material within the resources, and limitations that we have, and many teams have in this country.
“We believe we have the required material to compete, and we will compete.”
🟢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 💬
— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) July 15, 2024
The first team has returned from the pre-season camp in Joburg. Coach Aitor gave us an update on what went down at the camp.#Indlulamithi#HebeUsuthu#UsuthuTogether pic.twitter.com/ilH3QgS17u
