Durban — The past weekend saw two KwaZulu-Natal derbies take place, both with an equal measure of drama and huge implications on the DStv Premiership log standings.
AmaZulu needed a stoppage-time equaliser by new signing Guily Manziba to rescue a point away at Maritzburg on Friday while on Saturday, Royal AM scored two second-half goals to edge Golden Arrows and secure some breathing room between themselves and the relegation zone.
John Maduka’s impact at Royal AM
The return of John Maduka at Royal AM has lifted the mood and has been a huge boost for the club while giving the team a much-needed injection of energy and enthusiasm.
With Maduka in charge, the team played with renewed confidence and belief.
It’s clear that Maduka’s chemistry with the team is a thing of beauty and the future looks bright for Royal AM under his guidance.
AmaZulu stagnate under Romain Folz
AmaZulu are yet to show any clear signs of improvement under the guidance of head coach Romain Folz.
The 32-year-old mentor has made major changes since arriving, from swapping playing personnel all the way to adjusting the fitness levels of his entire squad, yet one of the most balanced squads in the league are still inconsistent.
Maritzburg amongst the best
As bizarre as it might sound but Maritzburg United, under the mentorship of Fadlu Davids are up there amongst the best performers in the league and continue to claw their way away from relegation danger.
Their game management, attacking and defensive patterns are reflected in their recent results, a trend that looks likely to get better after yet another fine showing against AmaZulu.
Golden Arrows’ issues in defence worsen
One of the biggest downfalls for Arrows has been their leaky defence and it continued against a fired-up Royal AM outfit.
The two goals Abafana Bes’Thende conceded meant they had conceded six in their last two games further supplementing their record title of ‘worst defence in the league’ having conceded a whopping 30 goals.
Pule Ekstein back to his best
One of the few things Folz has done right since taking over at AmaZulu is to reinvigorate Pule Ekstein.
The 32-year-old midfielder had been cast out into the cold at Usuthu but has returned with a renewed passion and came off the bench to shine against Maritzburg.
IOL Sport