Solid home base, defence secured Thanda’s place
Now, will the club stick with its staff?
Thanda Royal Zulu’s National First Division triumph this week was headlined by numerous key factors, but Amabhubesi’s unbeaten home record all season proved a catalyst to their successful campaign.
He may be four goals behind NFD’s top scorer Sedwyn George of Royal Eagles, but Mhlengi Cele’s 16 strikes were crucial in aiding the KwaZuluNatal-based outfit to return to the PSL after eight years.
Cele joined Amabhubesi from Chippa United at the start of the season. His PSL experience and good relationship he enjoys with coach Roger Sikhakhane, with whom he worked at the Chilli Boys, saw him settle well in Richards Bay.
Thanda went as far as 14 games without a defeat, breaking Lamontville Golden Arrow’s 12-match unbeaten record of 2015. Sikhakhane’s men have only lost one match, away to AmaTuks in February.
Sikhakhane is no stranger to shepherding a second-tier side into the top flight. In 2012, the 41-year-old tactician guided Chippa to the PSL.
Generally in football it is believed that goal-scorers win matches, but goalkeepers and defenders win titles. This line is fitting well with Thanda’s solid defence.
Thanda have conceded the least number of goals (21) so far. The solid partnership of Ayabulela Konqobe and Michael Gumede was fundamental in Thanda’s sensational season.
It remains to be seen if they will keep faith in their promotion-winning personnel because it has previously seemed hard for newly promoted clubs to stick with coaches who have helped them gain promotion when the team is in the riches of the elite league. Shaun Bartlett, now with AmaTuks, was let go after promoting Arrows in 2015, while Allan Freese lasted only five games at Highlands Park this season.