The vibrant atmosphere of KwaZulu-Natal’s football scene is set to pulsate once again as AmaZulu and Royal AM reignite their fierce rivalry at the King Zwelithini Stadium tonight (7.30pm kickoff).
The clash promises to be an electrifying encounter, filled with high stakes and passionate performances in uMlazi.
Both teams find themselves wrestling at the lower end of the Premiership table, fuelling their desperation to secure crucial points.
For AmaZulu, the stakes are particularly high. They not only aim to rise in the standings, but also to safeguard an impressive record against Royal AM.
In their recent history, Usuthu have only succumbed to defeat on a single occasion in seven meetings against their rivals, showcasing a formidable edge that they are eager to protect.
🟢⚽ Okay NUZ🤘🏽Who is ready for another KZN Derby? 💚⚽️
— AmaZulu FC (@AmaZuluFootball) December 10, 2024
Bhasobh’ iFOMO. 🎟️Grab your tickets now at TicketPro & join the green army at King Zwelithini Stadium on… pic.twitter.com/15WT9clq5k
The previous encounters have often been tightly contested, with four of them ending in low-scoring draws.
However, AmaZulu emerged victorious on two occasions, demonstrating their resilience and tactical prowess on the field.
These close match-ups reveal the underlying tension and competitive spirit that characterise this KZN derby, as both teams strive to assert their dominance.
Having finished in the bottom end of the table last season, it comes as no surprise that both clubs have made stuttering starts this season – with Usuthu even going as far as replacing their coach Pablo Franco Martin with the local expertise of Arthur Zwane and Vusumuzi Vilakazi, who now run the camp as co-coaches.
Under new management, AmaZulu have made visible improvements, despite their disappointing away loss to TS Galaxy last time out.
Before that, Zwane and ‘Kanu’ guided their side to back-to-back victories in the league, their first six points of the campaign.
The side’s excellent showing against another KZN rival in Richards Bay two weeks ago underlined the influence of the two coaches, as they ran rings around their opponents with stylish and free-flowing football.
Having had a week to reflect on their unfortunate loss in Mbombela, Usuthu will hope a return to familiar grounds will have a positive influence on the minds of the players, with a decent turnout expected in the heart of uMlazi.
AmaZulu head into this encounter sitting just outside the relegation zone in 14th place, with six points to their name after seven games, but just two points behind their next opponent, Royal AM.
Although they’re yet to hit the desired heights, Thwihli Thwahla have shown a resilience very few expected from them this season, given their squad troubles.
However, even with their thin squad, head coach John Maduka has mashed up his experience with the youth available to him, and has gone on to earn eight points in nine league matches thus.
The highly competitive nature of the Premiership this season has allowed teams to make poor starts, but have an opportunity to recover as well.
If Royal AM are to manage a win in this encounter, they could lift themselves as high as ninth place on the standings, a position Usuthu are also desperate to hold at this juncture.