Usuthu are on a mission

Cavin wants AmaZulu to make opponents green with envy

DURING a recent media briefing new AmaZulu coach Cavin Johnson teased a journalist for not having worn anything with the colour green.

After all this was an event hosted by AmaZulu, whose primary colour is green.

Such have been AmaZulu’s fortunes recently that the colour has faded to a light green, something that Johnson wants to reverse, starting with this afternoon’s home clash with Free State Stars in their first league match of the Absa Premiership season.

Nobody will turn green with envy for the challenge the new coach has taken up.

This is the second time in 10 years that Usuthu have bought their way back up to the PSL.

The first time was in 2006/7 when the current owners bought the top flight status of Dynamos FC.

Now they hold the status of Thanda Royal Zulu who won automatic promotion.

In between AmaZulu managed one top eight finish and saw numerous coaches fail to take the club back to the glory years, among them Neil Tovey, Craig Rosslee, and foreigners Julio Leal of Brazil and Swede Roger Palmgren.

Now it’s 58-year-old Johnson’s turn, after he was parachuted in to replace Zimbabwean coach Joey Antipas less than two weeks before the league kickoff.

Even with an inherited squad the former Platinum Stars tactician is upbeat.

“This province should be green and not the light green it is at the moment. When I say green, 10 to 15 years ago no team could come to Durban and outnumber Usuthu as far as supporters are concerned.

“That’s one of the pressures we would like to bring back to the club, and make people realise we didn’t buy this status only because we have money.

“We bought this status because we have players and we have some good young players. We will try and be as competitive as possible in the PSL this season,” said Johnson.

Left-backs Simphiwe Mtsweni and Tebogo Moerane are the latest signings. Johnson at least had a say in their recruitment.

Before that AmaZulu roped in their former Togolese international, Sadate Ouro-Akoriko, for a second spell, together with defensive midfielder Michael Morton and goalkeeper Boalefa Pule from SuperSport United, central defender Ayabulela Konqobe and goalkeeper Siyabonga Mbatha from Thanda, and Thembela Sikhakhane from Orlando Pirates.

In the first season back after two years in the second tier the priority will be to build a solid defensive base, and that’s where these new defensive recruits will need to shine.

Free State come to uMlazi with a more settled squad under new coach Sammy Troughton who had a full pre-season to familiarise his charges with his methodology.

Former AmaZulu midfielder Goodman Dlamini will pull the strings behind Ghanaian striker Mohammed Anas.

They will pose a formidable threat to the revamped AmaZulu defence. Johnson lamented that apart from the likes of Kaizer Chiefs, Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, Maritzburg United and Bloemfontein Celtic, few clubs commanded strong home support.

“I want to break that (trend) here. Chiefs had 45 000 supporters here in the MTN8. At other games it’s like each side has a few hundred supporters.

“AmaZulu is Durban’s biggest club but we need to see that in the stands,” Johnson added.

Veteran strikers Siyabonga Nomvethe, 39, and Mabhuti Khenyeza, 35, are probably the only players in Johnson’s squad who share his understanding of AmaZulu’s traditional support base.

If they get the business done in front of goal it will help Johnson in his mission to go green.