We just made mistakes, says Zwane after 4-0 loss to AmaZulu

Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane is not blaming his players for yet another embarrassing defeat in the 2022-2023 DStv Premiership campaign that is seemingly going from bad to worse for Amakhosi.

Chiefs suffered a 4-0 loss to AmaZulu in Durban on Friday night, equalling their worst defeat this season when they went down by the same score margin to log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns in August.

First half goals by Chiefs' two former players Dumsani Zuma and Ramahlwe Mphahlele as well as one by new striker Junior Dion and late strike by Bonginkosi Ntuli saw Usuthu grabbing their fifth win of the season to move to fifth spot on the log table after 16 outings.  

“All the players that played today played very well. I was quite impressed,” was Zwane's reaction when he was asked what he thought of the defeat on Friday.

“It was just one those days where you're making mistakes and you get punished. They made mistakes as well but we didn't take our chances. I look at the overall performance of the team and how many times we were in their half in the first half. 

“To be honest, I think the boys tried their best and at some stage we could have scored early but unfortunately it didn't happen. But the boys did well.”

Zwane said the team will learn from the mistakes they made in the game against AmaZulu and he was hopeful they would be well motivated to perform better against Sundowns who they host at the FNB Stadium next Saturday. 

“We'll obviously prepare for this game (against Sundowns) and see how it goes. But, like I said, we take one game at a time and we play to win every game we play.”

Zwane insisted he has enough experience in his squad and especially in the midfield where he had Nkosingiphile Ngcobo, Samkelo Zwane and Yusuf Maart in Friday's match. 

“We look at the players of AmaZulu, they were not better than us today. We just made mistakes that were costly to us at the end of day. But you look at our midfield, I think Mshini (Njabulo Ngcobo), Samkelo Zwane and Yusuf (Maart) played well.

“We were just not taking the chances that we created and we conceded from dead ball situations (twice). You look at them and the chances they created, the players of AmaZulu, I don't think they were better than us.”

Chiefs' loss to AmaZulu follows the 1-0 defeat they had against Sekhukhune United at home last Saturday when the club was celebrating its 53rd anniversary.

The two first goals conceded by Chiefs were due to Zwane's defence not being in sync with veteran goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, who was beaten by Zuma and Mphahlele's headers off George Maluleka's corner kicks.

Usuthu's last two goals were a gift from two mistakes by Chiefs central defenders Edmilson Dove and Zitha Kwiniika whose poor back passes to Khune were intercepted by Dion and Ntuli. 

The defeat left Chiefs 16 points adrift of Sundowns in fourth spot.  

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