Rosslee still waiting for a victory
AMAZULU coach Craig Rosslee will have to wait longer for his first win with the relegation-threatened Durbanites. Following last night’s goalless draw with Maritzburg in the Premiership at Moses Mabhida Stadium, the smart-talking Cape-born coach has a record of four low-scoring draws and one defeat with Usuthu.
He was understandably desperate for a win on the resumption of the league and he got his men to play with urgency against their higher-placed opponents, but goalkeeper Shuaib Walters refused to be beaten when Rosslee’s home side got their final pass right.
The unwanted result stretched AmaZulu’s winless run to eight games and kept them bottom, while Maritzburg have now gone five matches without victory in the top half of the standings.
Rosslee gave a debut at the start to attacking midfielder Njabulo Manqana and rightback Luyanda Hlongwa, while Maritzburg coach Ernst Middendorp’s new faces were left midfielder Dillon Sheppard, Namibian international Heinrich Isaacks and Maritzburg College star Bandile Shandu.
As promised by Rosslee in the build-up, Usuthu displayed a pacy approach which featured wave after wave of attack in the first half especially, rather than boring counterattacking play.
But they were kept at bay by Maritzburg goalkeeper Walters three significant times.
“I thought we started well and knocked the ball around nicely,” said Rosslee afterwards. “We created opportunities, but their keeper did well. Maybe we needed a bit more aggression.”
The first man to be frustrated by Walters was Goodman Dlamini in the 22nd minute; next it was co-midfielder Andile Khumalo in the 31st; then it was striker Ayanda Dlamini just before the interval.
Maritzburg’s best chance of the first half came in the opening 15 minutes when midfielder Isaacks shot wide from inside the box.
AmaZulu seemed to need a better final pass after the break and were let off the hook when Maritzburg’s Byrone Hendricks failed to connect with Mario Booysen’s header across the goalmouth in the 56th.
Midfield anchor Kulegani Madondo headed a corner kick wide at the other end a few minutes later, then Middendorp saw reason to exchange striker Terrance Mandaza with attacking midfielder Mthokozisi Yende and push Isaacks to centre forward.
Ayanda Dlamini’s shot was too weak to trouble Walters in the 69th minute then he came off, with Manqana, for new striker Bongani Ndulula and midfielder Nyiko Tshabangu respectively.
However, Middendorp was not going to complain too much about the picking up of an away point from a performance as dull as the weather.
He said: “I thought it was a typical game after a long break, really not knowing what to expect. Anyway, we set a minimum target of one point. We also had a problem with Cuthbert Malajila being injured. He has been scoring for us and, hopefully, he will be back for our next game.” THEY say time is a healer and ambitious Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi is happy to have had plenty of that with his men on the training field during the break in the PSL programme from Christmas.
Having taken over from Muhsin Ertugral at the modest Durban south club during the first round of the league, and with fixtures coming fairly thick and fast, Mngqithi did not have much time to instil his own philosophies into the under-performing players.
He registered just three wins in nine assignments.
The long recess, primarily caused by the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, was thus a blessing in disguise for the former school teacher in that he could spend more time on tactical issues.
He did not do much heavyweight shopping during the transfer window, but brought in young or low-cost players he believed could grow their reputations in Durban.
One of them is Vodacom League defender Thembela Sikhakhane from Ulundi FC.
Mngqithi also recruited central defender Gift Sithole and attacking midfielder Masonwabe Bovu from his former club Chippa United, while reserve striker Stanton Lewis went the opposite way.
Arrows parted company with midfielders Dillon Sheppard and Souleymane Keita.
Sheppard moved across to Maritzburg United, while Malian anchor-man Keita negotiated a free clearance after time on the bench and casualty ward.
“The coach used the time available to do as much as he could with the existing players and the new ones across all departments,” said the general manager of football at Arrows, James Dlamini.
Mngqithi’s intensive work on the training field gets tested by University of Pretoria in the Jacaranda City tonight, considering that Arrows have not won a game away from home all season.
The two clubs have only met once before.
Tuks surprised Arrows 1-0 in Durban in the first round of the league.
Before the break in fixtures, Tuks went four games without a loss to remain in the top half of the standings in their first season in the top-flight league, whereas Arrows stayed in the bottom four after losing 2-0 to Pirates in the last match before Christmas.
Bucs coach Roger de Sa, whose men face SuperSport in one of four other games tonight, also mentioned this week how he had used the recess to further cement his approach among the squad and allow injured players room to heal.
Tonight also sees Ajax versus Swallows at Cape Town Stadium, Leopards versus Wits at Peter Mokaba Stadium and Platinum Stars playing against Celtic at Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
Public’s choice
AS part of the razzmatazz surrounding the forthcoming Nedbank Cup, the organisers have decided that the eventual winners of the competition in May play against a team chosen by the public.
This team will be voted for during a reality TV series and will comprise 18 players.
Footballers between the ages of 18 and 35 from all provinces will be eligible.
The first round proper, or last 32, of the national knockout competition will kick off in a fortnight.