Nomvethe’s warning to teammates
‘You will have to pull up socks in the PSL’
As the PSL mulls over the possible sale of Thanda Royal Zulu’s status to AmaZulu, veteran striker Siyabonga Nomvethe says Usuthu will have to pull up their socks should they find themselves in the Absa Premiership next season.
AmaZulu missed out on promotion when they finished fifth in the NFD last season, but a back-door return to Premiership football is on the cards, provided the PSL approves their offer of a swap in status with Thanda, the NFD champions.
Nomvethe, 39, scored 17 times for AmaZulu in the NFD last season, but warned that the Premiership could be a tougher challenge. “The level between the Premiership and NFD is obviously not the same,” the striker said. “In NFD you get to run a lot, while in the Premiership players get time on the ball. You build from the back, take time on the ball. It’s too much tactical.”
Nomvethe is not planning to retire yet, and believes his voice is still required to turn Usuthu into a force again.
“I have played for 22 years but you’d never hear me telling my teammates that. I see them as mates and equals. Sure I do give advice here and there when they ask. I sometimes tell them that this is their chance to make a name for themselves – I already have a name, so I don’t have much left to achieve. But I respect everyone in the dressing room,” he said.
A return to the top division, Nomvethe said, would also offer his younger teammates a chance to compete for notable silverware.
“If you’re in the Premiership you get a chance to play for trophies. You can qualify for the MTN8 and also the CAF competitions. It’s a great chance. We would have to be very serious [should the Thanda deal go through] ...” he said.